His Silent Ways
by Raye-Angela
Summary: There are a thousand and one ways to tell someone you love them. Fifteen short, sweet ways are more than enough, but sometimes, it's what isn't said that can make the biggest impact of them all.
1. Prologue: The Magazine

I would like to take this chance to say that the fact today is Valentine's Day and that I am uploading this story is purely coincidental. Furthermore, it is my wish to find some chocolate behind I keel over from lack of sleep. I hope you enjoy reading my story, as it is my first somewhat lengthy fic in quite some time.

**Disclaimer**: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo, and the 'special' article to its writer from Cosmopolitan, although I originally found it on MSN.

On with the show!

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"_Matsumoto~!"_

The buxom strawberry blonde looked up from her pile of magazines before slowly returning her attention to a particular article she was reading. Despite the drop in temperature, she just couldn't take her eyes away from the new information in her hands. However, as per the consequences of ignoring her captain, the temperature suddenly dropped from sixty-five to forty degrees, she had to congratulate herself; she lasted a total of seven minutes.

"_Matsumoto, get in here this instant!"_

Sweeping up her magazine, she readjusted her top and proceeded to slowly inch herself towards her captain's office. Tentatively peeking in, she ducked just in time to dodge a teacup that was thrown at her. Knowing her small captain was upset earlier that morning, she quickly walked up to his desk and awaited the barrage of complaints.

"Yes taicho?"

"Matsumoto…where are those documents I told you to process last week," Toshiro asked bitingly. "Soutaicho wants them in his hands by three."

Rangiku stared at her captain curiously. She knew of the documents he was asking for, but she had turned them in almost four days ago. Resting her hands on her hips, she leaned forward to inspect her white haired superior. Reaching out, she poked the space between his two eyebrows with her index finger and frowned. Hearing an irritated growl, she pulled back before she lost an appendage.

"Matsumoto, do not touch me," he muttered. "I want those documents handed in today, am I clear?"

"Taicho, you're going to get a severe crease in between your eyebrows and on your forehead if you keep scowling like that," she scolded lightly in an airy voice. "Either way, I turned those documents in four days ago. Don't you remember?"

Toshiro's turquoise eyes narrowed slightly. Picking up the memo from General Commander, he reread the instructions and saw the deadline read March 12th…four days ago. Growling yet again, he crumpled up the square paper and threw it over his shoulder.

"It seems you are correct Matsumoto," he let out with a sigh. "Thank you."

The woman smiled a bit, but her worried expression returned despite the praise. Taking a seat on the large oak desk, she looked down at her captain.

"Taicho, what's wrong? It's not every day things like this slip your mind." She paused before continuing. "Is everything going well with Kurosaki-kun?"

Hitsugaya's frame tensed for a second before loosening. "It does not concern you. Leave it be and finish your paperwork."

"No, something is most definitely bothering you and Kurosaki-kun is the source!" she exclaimed. "He didn't break up with you, did he?"

When she was met by silence, Rangiku gasped and felt tears reach the corners of her eyes. Jumping up, she grabbed her captain and brought him into a hug that greatly resembled a boa constrictor's vice-like grip. Toshiro felt all the air in his lungs leave him as he was picked up and swung about. Apparently, his vice-captain felt very strongly about his relationship with the substitute Shinigami.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry taicho," she cried loudly. "You have every right to be upset with the world. Don't worry, I'll find my bottles of sake and we'll drink until you forget all about that boy!"

"Mahoomoto! Het go of me!" Toshiro shouted against her bosom, trying to wriggle free. He was starting to lose consciousness from the lack of oxygen. "He did not break up with me!"

The tall woman pulled away and pouted. "Well can you blame me for jumping to conclusions when you just sit there staring at me?"

"You shouldn't jump to conclusions," Hitsugaya muttered angrily. "Regardless of the circumstances, do not assume."

Rangiku scoffed, crossing her arms as she made herself comfortable on the desk. "Hitsugaya Toshiro, stop stalling and start telling me what is wrong! I was the first person to find out about you two-"

"You were spying on us; that doesn't count-"

"AND when I found out, I swore I would help in any way I could to help your relationship work out." She continued without missing a beat. "So cough it up now or I'll go and pay Ichigo a little visit."

At first, Toshiro was going to brush off his vice-captain's threat, but after seeing a certain mischievous glint in her blue eyes, memories of what occurred after seeing _that_ glint resurfaced. For a brief moment, he wondered if it would be worth it to try and run away, but knowing Matsumoto, she could do practically anything under the sun if she had the proper motivation. With a great deal of effort, Toshiro slowly nodded, letting out an exhausted sigh. A squeal erupted from the well endowed woman, causing her captain to wince, but she ignored his discomfort and dragged him to the couch. Practically dropping him onto the soft cushions, Rangiku quickly sat down next to him and waited for her captain to speak. Her patience paid off when he slowly took a breath, exhaled, and began to talk.

"Kurosaki did not break up with me," the boy murmured softly. "…But he might. I'm not the most extroverted person in Soul Society, but I'd like to think I'm improving…albeit slowly."

Rangiku nodded, easily understanding what the boy meant. When the news of their relationship became known, many Shinigami started placing bets on how long the two would last. To everyone's surprise, Rangiku was strongly _against_ the betting; she knew the substitute and her icy captain would pull through, and she would be damned if she wasn't somehow part of it. Matsumoto tried to keep quiet and allow her captain to speak freely.

"Lately, I've doubted our relationship. I have strong feelings for Kurosaki, and I'm sure he has strong feelings for me, too," he said calmly, surprised at how easy it was to speak to his vice-captain this way. "But I know strong feelings aren't the same as love, and I'm worried that one day…Kurosaki will figure out that all he'll ever feel for me is some 'strong feeling'. And when he realizes it…"

The strawberry blonde nodded once more as a reassuring smile covered her face. She figured Toshiro's insecurities had been based around his seemingly apathetic attitude towards Ichigo's advances and public display of affection. Letting out a breath of air, Rangiku tried to figure out what she was about to say.

"Hmm…so you are worried Ichigo will leave you if he doesn't love you," she said contemplatively. "How long have the two of you been together, five-six months?"

"Seven next week."

"Well, I believe it's time to put my magazines to good use!" Matsumoto exclaimed as she pulled a magazine from her belt, skimming through the pages until she reached a specific article. Her eyes lightened considerably as she scanned the contents before tossing the magazine to her captain.

"Look at page seventy-three!"

Catching the bound glossy papers with ease, Toshiro flipped to the back and immediately found the article Rangiku had prescribed for him. Large block lettering, outrageous coloring, and an over abundance of hearts and flowers were definitely off-putting for the boy genius. The only thing keeping him from throwing the magazine back at his lieutenant was the article's _name_.

'_11 Ways to Know He's Falling for You.'_

"What the…"

"Don't you think it's perfect taicho," Matsumoto asked excitedly. "How lucky we found it! And look, they even have descriptions for them. This will definitely help!"

"Matsumoto…This is a _girl_ magazine," Hitsugaya muttered, his male ego taking a definite blow. "I don't see how this will help-"

"You're the uke," she exclaimed in a boisterous voice. "Of COURSE it will help!"

Hearing his title in the relationship caused the boy's cheeks to blush heavily and his eyes to narrow. Before he could reach out to strangle his lieutenant, she was already standing in his office doorway, waving happily.

"Bye-bye Captain," she called out cheerily. "Don't forget to read it! These human magazines are never wrong!"

And with that, the buxom woman was out of sight and out of mind, and his attentions were redirected to the magazine crumpled in his hands. Glaring at the papers, he finally sighed, running a hand through his hair (one of the many bad habits he had contracted due to his close proximity to the substitute Shinigami). Sitting back down on his couch, he looked out his circular window for a few minutes, letting his mind go blank. When he heard his vice-captain's jovial laughter, he snapped out of his daze, got to his feet, and returned to his desk to finish paperwork.

Hours passed and it wasn't until he heard the evening song being played that he looked up from his reports. The sun had already set but the horizon was tinged light orange and mixed with the darkening sky. Hitsugaya sat there, watching the sky until the last remnants of the day had disappeared. With the day finally at an end, he slowly collected his things, neatly piled his paperwork, and flipped the lights off. He was just about to walk to the door when he saw the glossy cover of the discarded magazine.

Rolling his eyes, he briskly walked out of his office, with a barely perceptible rustle of his sleeves, where two pages of heavily decorated pages were now hidden.

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**Sneak Peak: **

**_"…But, why go to all the trouble?" he asked in a small voice..._**

**_"I missed you Toshiro…" Ichigo whispered._**


	2. He picks you up from the airport

**Full Title: He picks you up from the airport ... during rush hour.**

Short, sweet, and hopefully pointy like a pencil. Enjoy!

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After three months of non-stop paperwork and missions, Soutaicho had granted Hitsugaya-taicho a one week leave. Although the boy genius was reluctant to leave his post and his squad to Matsumoto and his 3rd seat, his body and mind were exhausted to the point where he could barely hold a brush right side up. In the end, he gratefully took the offered vacation and packed a small over-the-shoulder satchel (mildly similar to the ones used by the fourth squad), and left for the human world. Upon his arrival on the banks of Karakura's river, Toshiro was surprised to see his boyfriend lying down in the grass. Before he could turn around and head in the opposite direction, the white haired captain felt a pair of large hands wrap around his waist and pull him down. Despite the scowl on his face as he fell, Hitsugaya-taicho's heart fluttered pleasantly.

The second his boyfriend was in his lap, Ichigo buried his face in the crook of his neck and tightened his grip around his waist. Inhaling slowly, the scent of rain and the autumn wind filled his senses, making him sigh in content. Toshiro leaned back and looked out at the river, interested in how the light reflected off of its surface. The two of them stayed like that until the taller of the two broke the silence.

"Why did you try to walk away from me when you got here?" Ichigo asked, trying to mask his hurt tone.

"I thought you wouldn't be here to pick me up."

It was a statement, not a question.

"You didn't answer my question, Toshiro…" Ichigo mumbled.

"You told me you had to go to a job interview, then an appointment with your dentist, and then you had to go take an exam for your college class."

The orange head was quick to respond.

"…I finished the interview early, I rescheduled my teeth cleaning for next week because I have errands to run in that area, and I talked to my professor." He paused for a second, recalling the conversation. "When I told him I was 'receiving family' from out of the 'country', he said I could take the test tomorrow morning. I just have to come to his office."

Toshiro was silent for a moment, thinking about his next question.

"Your apartment is on the other side of town," he ventured carefully. "Wouldn't it have been easier for you to let me meet you over there?"

"I have a bus pass," Ichigo replied, amused at the series of questions. "And I heard running's a good way to relieve post-interview stress."

"…But, why go to all the trouble?" he asked in a small voice as he fumbled with the corners of his captain's haori, stopping when he felt the grip around his waist loosen to a comfortable embrace.

"I missed you Toshiro…" Ichigo whispered.

"Hitsugaya-taicho." He muttered in feigned annoyance. "Why would you miss me? You came by last week with Kuchiki-san."

Ichigo sighed and gave the boy a playful nip on his neck, eliciting a squeak of embarrassment. "Yeah, but I wasn't able to stop by and see you…I'm sorry…"

"…"

Ichigo's shoulders drooped when his boyfriend pulled away to gather his things. Following in suit, the teen picked himself up and dusted off his jeans and after a moment of hesitation, Ichigo held his hand out to the boy. His heart constricted slightly when he saw the scrutiny in those blue-green eyes, but the second he felt a small hand in his larger one, a smile stretched across his face.

"I have to pick up my gigai from Uruhara-san." Hitsugaya murmured.

"I know…"

"…"

The two of them walked in silence. It wasn't until they were 20 feet from Uruhara's shop when Toshiro stopped walking, causing the substitute Shinigami to look back at him curiously.

"Toshiro?"

"…You're a hopeless romantic…"

Ichigo frowned at the strange insult. When he moved to keep walking, Hitsugaya pulled him back again. Turning around to fully face his boyfriend, Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" he asked, knowing there had to be some reason behind the captain's behavior. He was met with a silent look before Toshiro's cheeks were dusted with a light pink hue.

"…I missed you too Kurosaki," the boy murmured in a shy, begrudging way.

"I thought you might," Ichigo said cheekily.

Before Toshiro could take a swing at him, the teenager pulled the white haired boy to him for a chaste kiss. Blue green eyes widened slightly and pale cheeks reddened even more. When Ichigo backed away, he tugged Hitsugaya's hand and the two continued walking. He knew everything was going to be alright when the hand holding onto his squeezed slightly and readjusted their interlocked fingers to a more comfortable position.

The substitute Shinigami knew this was how he wanted things to be…for now.

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**Sneak Peak:**

_**"What…you mean you understand this?"**_

_**"I have stayed in the living world long before you were born, Kurosaki. Calculus was one of the classes I took when I was based in Tokyo thirty years ago...I'll explain it to you step-by-step. Come a bit closer, please."**_

_**"Please take care of me sensei."**_


	3. He looks into your eyes

**Now might be a good time to say each chapter may or may not contain the description of each...'trait'. Also, this story will be day by day for most parts, but I'll leave it up to you readers to discern what I've done. I can't do all the work now, right?**

**Enjoy!**

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Toshiro felt the hairs at the nape of his neck stand on end. Looking up from his book, he saw Kurosaki staring at him unabashedly from his desk. They held each other's gaze for a few seconds until Toshiro's cheeks began to redden, causing him to turn away. Ichigo chuckled lightly and returned to his homework. The small captain scowled as he read his book, muttering about his 'immature' boyfriend. Silence fell between the two for the next half hour, broken by a frustrated growl and the sound of a five hundred paged textbook being slammed shut. Blue-green eyes narrowed at the sounds and looked towards their source. At his desk, Ichigo glared at his papers while he held his head up with his hands.

"Kurosaki, must you make so much noise when you're frustrated?" Toshiro asked.

"Tch. I made the same sounds for months until you let me kiss you." Ichigo muttered.

Another blush stained the boy's cheeks, but with a roll of his eyes, Hitsugaya gently closed his book and raised himself to a seating position. Raising his hand, he gestured for the orange haired boy to come to his side. Nodding slowly, Ichigo brought his things over to the bed and took a seat across from his boyfriend. His face still set in a scowl, Ichigo watched the captain flip open his textbook to the exact page he had been working on before he threw his fit. His eyebrows rose; apparently Toshiro had been paying more attention to him than he thought.

"What is it you're having trouble with?" Toshiro asked softly, knowing how touchy the teen could get when his college work got the best of him.

Ichigo ran his hand through his messy hair and sighed. "Everything. If I had known that I'd have to take a class like calculus to be a pharmacist, I would have become a fireman."

"Hmm…from what I remember, you tested _into_ Trigonometry," said the boy after a short pause. "And according to those admissions papers you showed me, Calculus is the next level of math; you'd have to take it regardless of your major."

"…Do you have to ruin my complaints?" Ichigo asked sourly. "Either way, I just don't understand why I need to use donuts and shells to find the integral."

"I'm not surprised." Hitsugaya commented lightly. "The explanations in these books don't even get the basic concepts across."

"What…you mean you understand this?"

"I have stayed in the living world long before you were born, Kurosaki. Calculus was one of the classes I took when I was based in Tokyo thirty years ago." His eyes became misty with distant memories Ichigo knew wouldn't be shared any time soon. Toshiro shook his head lightly to dispel the memories. "I'll explain it to you step-by-step. Come a bit closer, please."

The scowl finally left Ichigo's face as he brought himself closer to the captain. Leaning his face into Toshiro's personal bubble, Ichigo smiled mischievously before giving the boy a quick kiss on the lips. Tilting back, he was satisfied by the sight of yet another blush for the day.

"Please take care of me sensei."

Time passed by quickly as Ichigo was re-taught everything from the ground up. After a while, Ichigo's eyes began to stray from his papers and make their way up to Toshiro's. He rarely got the chance to actually look at the boy's eyes, and it made the times he could all the more special. Generally, other Shinigami would comment on how cold and unfeeling they were, but Ichigo refused to accept this. From the first time he had ever laid eyes on the serious captain, he couldn't help but notice how they were so…full of life. They burned with passion for the injustice done to his cousin and all of Soul Society when Aizen, Gin, and Tousen left for Hueco Mundo. They held warmth whenever the small captain was being engulfed in his arms after a hard day of work.

The substitute had seen so many emotions pass over those turquoise irises. Annoyance was the most common of them, but after being on the receiving end of so many, Ichigo had begun to pick out the different types. If he had done something particularly stupid, or if Matsumoto was flat out drunk on the office couch, Toshiro's eyes became two shades darker and had a slight glint to them. Whenever Ichigo gained unnecessary injuries during a spar, his eyes lightened slightly and there would always be a small flicker of relief that appeared as he watched Hanatarou patch him up. And if he really thought about it, every single time he said anything with a hint of romantic intent, Toshiro's eyes would become the most beautiful shade of turquoise despite the sharp spark of annoyance that flashed through. So many colors and emotions…and yet, no matter how many times he found them, his heart would still race with excitement as if their eyes were meeting for the first time all over again.

Even though he was reading his book, Toshiro was aware of the stares he was getting from the teenager across from him. He was also aware of the fact he had been reading the same four sentences ever since he had acknowledged the looks. With an internal sigh, the small captain snapped his book shut and threw it over his shoulder, where it landed on the floor with a loud bang, echoing throughout the silent room. The sharp sound caused Ichigo to snap out of his daze and send an affronted scowl to his boyfriend. Before he could say anything, said boyfriend beat him to it.

"What's your problem?" Toshiro asked, his face forming into an annoyed scowl.

"That's supposed to be my line," Ichigo countered, face also set in a scowl, although there was a slight twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

"You're not answering my question Kurosaki. You asked me for help with your homework and I did," he said in exasperation. "And now you're daydreaming makes me think all my effort to re-teach you this was a waste of time."

"Toshiro, it wasn't a waste of time-"

"-And why do you always stare at me? It's very uncomfortable for me and I have no idea what you're thinking when you do."

"Hey, Toshiro, could you let me say something," he tried again, moving closer until he was directly in front of the boy.

"Damn it! You're making me feel stupid and," Toshiro paused in his tirade, having finally noticed how close his boyfriend was. "What are you doing?"

Ichigo was two inches away from his face, staring deeply into his eyes. A slight jolt of the infamous 'warm-fuzzies' erupted in Toshiro's stomach when he saw the affection in those warm brown eyes. A hand came up to brush his bangs away and a small smile lightened Kurosaki's face.

"So…you're _basically_ upset about me staring at you. Am I right," Ichigo asked, to which Toshiro nodded dumbly. "I'm your boyfriend, Toshiro…and I reserve the right to ogle at what's mine."

Before Toshiro could open his mouth to retort that he was no one's property, Ichigo promptly kissed him, pulling the smaller male into his lap with ease. When he pulled away, the orange haired Shinigami resumed their 'staring contest'.

"I'm yours, and you're mine, that's all there is to it. And every time I look at you…"

Ichigo emphasized his feelings with another deep kiss.

"I realize I'm with the most amazing person in this world and all of Soul Society…I might never let anyone this close to me ever again…"

Ichigo quickly reclaimed his boyfriend's lips and gently laid both of them down on his bed. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind that had yet to be clouded by the sensation of being kissed, Toshiro remembered one of the indications the magazine article had listed:

"_The eyes are more than just windows to a man's soul; they can also be a tattletale to what's welling in his heart."_

_

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**Sneak Peak:**

**_"I'll be back around noon, so just make yourself at home," Ichigo mumbled as he stirred his coffee. "Try not to go bankai on the upstairs neighbors; the wife had twins last month and their both discovering the _****_wonders_****_ of two-legged mobility."_**

**_"Kurosaki, calm down," he said calmly. "You will do fine."_**


	4. He stocks up on your fave foods

**Not much to say right now, except that I have the next to or three chapters on deck, waiting for me to edit and upload them in rapid succession. I'll sit on them for a while; I want to see how this story fares with you readers first. I can't just upload them without taking in feedback, you know?**

**Enjoy!**

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"I'll be back around noon, so just make yourself at home," Ichigo mumbled as he stirred his coffee. "Try not to go bankai on the upstairs neighbors; the wife had twins last month and their both discovering the _wonders_ of two-legged mobility."

Toshiro's eyebrow rose at his boyfriend's early morning sarcasm, but he ignored it; he knew Ichigo was a big softy when it came to babies. Lowering his cup of jasmine tea, the boy crossed is arms and gave his boyfriend an examining look. The substitute Shinigami was clutching onto his cup of coffee like a life line, his hands were jittery, he kept tapping his foot in an annoying rhythmic pattern, and he had a small vein pulsing at his temple. All in all, Ichigo looked like a typical college student on exam day.

"Kurosaki, calm down," he said calmly. "You will do fine."

The tall teenager huffed and downed the rest of his coffee, trying to ignore the tongue-scorching heat. After a night of studying for his calculus midterm (which was interrupted by lazy make out sessions every five to ten minutes) Ichigo was tired, stressed out, and yet mildly satisfied, all at the same time…If he was rewarded with kisses for every ten problems he managed to solve without throwing the book out the window, then what could he get for his chemistry labs…? His face took on a faraway look as he allowed himself to indulge in his fantasies.

"Kurosaki…KUROSAKI!" Toshiro called out, inches away from throwing his cup at the male. "Are you listening to me?"

"…"

He knew that look. That look meant he was either hungry, or _hungry_.

"No."

Ichigo immediately frowned. "Why the hell not," he asked incredulously.

"No. And that's the end of this discussion," Toshiro muttered stubbornly. "You're going to be late."

"But…" The substitute Shinigami's eyes strayed to his watch, lingered for a second, and widened dramatically. "Aw shit! I'm gonna be late!"

"Hmm…"

Hitsugaya watched, mildly amused, as his boyfriend jumped from his seat, grabbed his coat and bag, ran to the door, yelled out, "See you later!" and exited the apartment in under six seconds. The apartment shook from the force of the door closing, and within a minute, twin wails could be heard from their upstairs neighbors. Toshiro groaned inwardly as he stood to refill his cup. Despite his preference for peace and quiet, the captain soon felt the silence (sans crying babies) weighing down on him. Watching the hot liquid pour into his cup, part of him couldn't help but marvel at how much Kurosaki had integrated himself into his life within their short seven months together. As he thought about this, another, _smaller_, part of him hoped their brief time together wouldn't be cut short anytime soon.

'Seven months doesn't seem like much because of my lengthened life-span,' he thought morosely while sipping his tea, 'but it's probably the happiest I've been for over a century…'

With his mind so pulled into himself, he barely noticed he had begun tidying up the kitchen bit by bit (a strange tendency that came about when the two of them started dating). His cup was left to cool on the counter as he swept off crumbs and lone sugar crystals into a napkin and dumped said napkin into the waste bin. He then dragged his fingers along the counter until he hit two spice containers Ichigo had used to make scrambled eggs. Picking them up, he walked over to put them away in the spice cabinet, but stopped when he saw a bottle that was very out of place in his boyfriend's apartment:

'_Mint Leaves'i_

__

The white haired Shinigami tilted his head slightly, obviously puzzled at his discovery. Because of his dislike for any sort of unnecessary heat, Toshiro had taken to substituting spices for certain foods, like Ichigo's favorite curry dish. Although he was curious, the boy moved on, seeing there were other containers and dishes that needed to be put in their proper place. Taking the coffee bean can and paper filters to one of the pantry cupboards, he opened it up to find yet another strange sight:

'_Earl Grey Tea'._

"What the…" Toshiro's eyes narrowed slightly. It was common knowledge that the young captain enjoyed a variety of teas, all of which Ichigo shared the same preference for, but only three people knew of his love for this particular brand.

His Grandmother: she sent him a small box each year since he became captain.

Matsumoto: she discovered said boxes when she had been looking for a place to hide her sake.

The Captain Commander's Lieutenant: he was the one who turned Toshiro onto the tea when the two of them accidentally bumped into each other in a living world tea shop.

"How did he know?" Hitsugaya asked aloud, pulling out the box. "He even got the type without the bergamot…"

Shaking his head and writing it off as another coincidence, he moved over to place the egg tray back into the fridge. When he opened the door, his eyes widened yet again.

'_Soy milk.'_

After one of his more unfortunate run-ins with Orihime's cooking, all that was left in the fridge that could quench his scorched palate was soy milk. After his taste buds grew back, he found the taste to be quite pleasing as opposed to regular milk. He even made a point to go with the buxom 'cook' to the odd supermarket she frequented so he could pick up a few cartons before he had to return to Soul Society. However, turquoise eyes were set into a steely, critical glare seeing four cartons of the same brand in his boyfriend's fridge, especially after said boyfriend had previously stated the drink was for meant for hippies and health freaks.

There was definitely something wrong in the Kurosaki flat; once was okay, _twice_ was coincidence, but THREE times was a conspiracy.

Shoving the eggs inside the fridge haphazardly, he tore through the rest of the kitchen cabinets. Every time he opened a door, there was an item that hadn't been present during his previous visits. All of which were _his _favorite.

Sour watermelon chews. Peach tea juice drinks. Dark chocolate covered biscotti. Cheese crackers. Tempura mix. Natto. Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate. Swirly Gummy Bears. Chili MD…and the list went on and on.

Toshiro fell onto a barstool and looked around the entire kitchen in a daze. Cupboard after cupboard he found more and more of his favorite snacks and drinks hidden inside. And not only that, the entire organization of the higher cabinets and drawers had been rearranged. Cups and plates had been moved to a more reachable level, silverware was moved out of the damn drawer that always seemed to clamp shut when he tried to open it, and any cooking utensils were moved so they would be within his reach on the rare occasion Ichigo allowed him to cook. It didn't make sense; the state of the apartment was very similar to how new mothers would baby-proof their home. The only difference here was Ichigo's home was now 'Toshiro-friendly'. Sitting there, he thought long and hard, trying to figure out what all of this meant. Then, all of a sudden, he looked towards the novel he had been reading the past two days. Grabbing it from its resting place, he peeled off the dust cover and let his eyes scan the words that were written inside (against his will) by none other than Matsumoto. He didn't have to look for long; it was the second one down:

**He stocks his kitchen with stuff you like.**

His eyes traveled lower to find a brief explanation written out in his lieutenant's messy handwriting.

"_Discovering that his kitchen is loaded with biscotti, lemon-lime seltzer, and other feminine edibles (that would only pass his lips at gunpoint) shows you're lingering on his mind in the most unexpected, unromantic places — like the produce aisle on a solo shopping trip. Furthermore, stocking up means he's gone public with your place in his pad. You see, men like to maintain at least the image of being detached for as long as possible. So leaving unmistakable evidence in our home that there's a woman present in our life is a bright red flag that you're The One."_

Toshiro's skin began to flush, gradually comprehending what he had read. He didn't even allow himself to acknowledge the fact he was actually taking advice from some human female magazine, knowing how big of a blow his male ego would take if he did. Slowly raising his eyes, he took a good long look at the cupboards, the cabinets, the pantry, and the fridge.

"He did all this…for me?"

--

Ichigo moaned as he exited the elevator, relieved he was within twenty feet of his apartment. Stretching his arms, he was satisfied to hear three consecutive pops from his spine. The teen slowly made his way towards his door, digging his keys out of his bag as he tried to plan out what their dinner would be. Pushing the door open, he blinked in surprise to find all the lights turned off or dimmed. Walking in, he dumped his things in a pile and made his way to the kitchen, thinking his boyfriend might be making his routine afternoon snack. Popping his head in, he saw that, not only was the kitchen practically spotless, it was cold. Stepping back, he walked over to the living room calmly and quietly, knowing Toshiro was more than capable of taking care of himself.

He was relieved to be right.

The second he walked into the living room, he could tell the air was colder than usual and he could hear someone breathing softly from the couch. Making his way over, Ichigo looked over the back of the couch, and what he saw made all his weariness leave him in one breath.

Lying on the couch, with his leg hanging off and his arms curled against his chest, Toshiro looked like the most innocent being this side of the Milky Way…Ichigo shook his head at this thought.

"Toshiro _is_ the most innocent person I have ever met," he whispered to himself, watching his boyfriend's chest rise and lower with each intake of breath.

Leaning down, he brushed stray white hairs behind the boy's ear so they wouldn't tickle his cheek. Kurosaki's head was almost half a foot away from the sleeping boy, but he didn't move to close the distance between the two of them. He felt like…he would destroy this rare, almost ethereal scene in front of him. The teen was about to move back when he caught sight of something on the coffee table across from the captain. Looking up, he saw an opened back of sour watermelon gummies sitting close to the edge of the table. For a second, he wondered if Toshiro had left the apartment to buy some on his own, but recalled he hadn't left any money for the boy to use. At the thought of money, he instantly remembered his little 'shopping spree' three days before. He smiled at the memory of that day because he hadn't even meant to buy all the white haired boy's favorite foods. While walking up and down the aisles, he just started placing the different items into his cart. The cashier working at the time knew Ichigo to be a regular customer, so she gave the teen a knowing sort of look when he started loading his purchases onto the conveyer belt.

--

'_Hmm, this person must be pretty special, eh Kurosaki-san?' she cooed teasingly._

'_Huh? What do you mean,' Ichigo asked dumbly as he placed the last item on the conveyer._

_The cashier laughed amusedly, gesturing to the array of foods that accompanied Ichigo's regular cups of ramen, rice bag, sweet bread, and milk. Ichigo followed the movement of her hand, taking it in for a moment. It took a bit of mind sifting, but the substitute Shinigami realized what she meant. He started laughing nervously, moving to pay for his food stuffs. The girl smiled at his bashful actions as she rung up the final price._

'_Don't be so embarrassed,' she exclaimed. 'She must be pretty important to you if you want to stock up on her favorites.'_

_Kurosaki blushed lightly, but nodded affirmatively._

'_Yeah…he's my most important person…'_

_The girl looked at him curiously, but smiled once she realized what he had said. Nodding to herself, she gave Ichigo his receipt and threw another sour watermelon gummy bag at him. Catching it with one hand, the orange head gave her a confused look._

'_Believe me, the way to a girl's heart is through giving _extra_ thought into what you do for them, and _sweets_,' she said in a mockingly sage like voice. 'I'm sure the same thing applies to him.'_

_Ichigo looked down at the package of candies and then back up at the cashier with a sincere smile gracing his lips._

'_Thanks…'_

_

* * *

_

**Sneak Peak:**

_**"It's cold."**_

_**"…Rethink your statement."**_


	5. He wants to make you happy

**Back with another update, so please enjoy the short fluffiness whilst I work on the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to the first chapter, or wherever it was I placed this damn thing the first time.**

**

* * *

**

"It's cold."

"…Rethink your statement."

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he loaded the washer. He was lucky to have gotten a good deal on the apartment; a dishwasher and in house washer and dryer were thrown in as part of the utilities. Toshiro was currently sitting atop the dryer, watching his boyfriend move around to separate the different clothes.

"I mean, it's getting colder, as in it's almost December."

"What's your point?"

Kurosaki sighed, closing the washer with a bang and taking a seat on top of it.

"It's getting colder, which means it's almost December, which _means_: Your birthday is coming up," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "Did you want anything special?"

"…Get Matsumoto to do her paperwork."

Toshiro jumped off the dryer and shuffled over to the living room, leaving Ichigo to follow.

"What kind of present is that," he asked incredulously. "I'm serious, what do you want for your birthday?"

"I don't celebrate my birthday Kurosaki," Hitsugaya stated as he plopped down on the couch. "The idea of letting Matsumoto and the other vice captains get drunk for the sake of singing 'happy birthday' to me isn't all that appealing."

"Seriously, that's why? I thought you were about to reveal some sort of dark, secret past that left you traumatized, which leads to the reason why you don't celebrate it."

"…Not everything is like a soap opera, Kurosaki, so get that horrid idea out of your head."

Ichigo grumbled as he took a seat next to the captain, turning on the TV to find Don Kanonjijumping across the screen. He quickly changed the channel until he found something interesting: The Food Network. Drawing his legs up onto the couch, he pulled Toshiro closer to him, happy the boy didn't resist. The two of them sat in a comfortable silence as the host of Unwrapped presented the top ten chocolates…Until Ichigo had to open his mouth.

"How about a new brush set?"

"No."

"Pajama set?"

"No thank you."

"A new book?"

"I have more back in Soul Society."

"A trip to the circus?"

"Definitely not."

"All expense paid trip to Hawaii?"

"Are you one of those terrible DJ talk show hosts?"

"Shoes?"

"I'm not some girl who can be wooed by useless, material objects."

"Box of chocolates?"

"What did I just say?"

"A room full of roses?"

"Are you clinically insane?"

"Maybe. What about a puppy?"

"I hate dogs."

"Damn," he said with a laugh. "You sure are hard to please."

"And just what is that supposed to-"

Toshiro was interrupted (and distracted) by a pair of lips covering his own. Kurosaki smiled into the kiss when he felt the other push back tentatively. They stayed like that for a couple more minutes, only pulling back when they forgot how to breathe through their noses. With a soft gasp, Hitsugaya separated, breathing in deeply with a terribly red blush spreading across his cheeks. The substitute chuckled softly before kissing the boy on the forehead.

"It _means_…I have to try twice as hard to find you the perfect gift," he whispered affectionately.

A sigh escaped the boy's lips as he rested his head against Ichigo's shoulder.

"That still doesn't explain why you're bothering with it in the first place…"

"You're so picky," Kurosaki muttered, although there was an underlying layer of amusement. "Don't you know?"

"I wouldn't be asking you if I knew, now would I," he answered sarcastically.

There was a short pause as a small blush began to form on the teenager's cheeks.

"Toshiro…this is the first time we'll be celebrating your birthday as a couple."

He was met with silence and Toshiro had lowered his head. Ichigo was about to ask if he was okay when two arms slowly wrapped around his broad shoulders in an awkward hug. Not sure what was going on, he reciprocated the hug and pulled the boy closer to him. There was another comfortable silence between them until Ichigo heard the captain whisper something.

"I can't hear you if you don't speak up, Toshiro," he murmured softly. "Say it again?"

"A sweater…"

"Huh?"

Toshiro raised his head to look his boyfriend in the eye, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"A sweater…so I can wear it whenever you're not there to keep me warm."

* * *

**Sneak Peak:**

_**Back where he had left the group, his boyfriend's back was facing him. That in itself wasn't the problem; it was the brunette hanging off of Ichigo who was the current target of Toshiro's growing ire for social gatherings.**_


	6. He stands next to you in public

**It's taken a long while to update; I apologize for that. School has become a bit hectic now that I've been casted in the Drama Dept.'s new Shakespearean musical. But enough of that. Please enjoy the new chapter. I'll try my best to post more often.**

* * *

**He stands next to you in public.**

"Why are we here?"

"Because we were invited."

"Why did you accept?"

"Because it's not healthy to stay cooped up in an apartment three days in a row."

"…"

"Exactly. Now come on, they're waiting for us inside," Ichigo said as he dragged the shorter male through the glass double doors.

Toshiro groaned as he stumbled along after his boyfriend, readying himself for the deafening techno music that awaited him on the other side.

The evening had started out simple enough. He had been lying down on Ichigo's bed, catching up on reading. Just as he was getting into a steady reading pace, his boyfriend walked into the room, dumped a set of clothing on him, told him to get dressed, and left to wait for him in the living room. Of course, Toshiro's response to this was to grab the clothing, throw it out the window, lie down on the bed, and continue reading. However, within ten minutes, Ichigo was back with a new set of clothes and a scowl on his face. Needless to say, the next half hour was filled with yelling, book throwing, door slamming, and the inevitable stream apologies centered on how asshole-ish a certain someone(s?) tended to be.

An hour and a half later found the dysfunctional couple standing outside a popular college club in downtown Karakura. Of course, it took another fifteen minutes to convince the bouncer in front of the club that Toshiro wasn't an elementary student. This particular argument ended with a couple of frozen fingers and a satisfied smirk on a small male's face when they were given passage.

Hitsugaya sighed as he pulled at the collar of his shirt, trying to adjust to the oncoming heat from the dancers. Toshiro was dressed in somewhat casual attire, but he couldn't help but think Matsumoto had a hand in the choosing of his outfit…_And_ he couldn't help but think Ichigo was staring at him more than the required amount a caring boyfriend should.

On their last mission to the living world, Matsumoto had left Ichigo a suitcase full of clothes, shoes, and accessories she had purchased without her captain's knowledge. She had even gone far enough to separate them all into suitable outfits, and labeled which one would go with certain occasions. Toshiro had on a long sleeved, black polo with white calligraphy written down the right side with tasteful white 'splashes' across the chest. His jeans were a dark shade of blue that fitted just below the waist, with legs that narrowed as they reached the feet, which were covered by simple white tennis shoes. Because of the growing heat, he rolled up his sleeves, revealing a pair of silver Celtic bracelets hanging off each wrist, somehow completing the look.

Ichigo stole a hesitant glance, blushing at his actions. It had been a while since he had seen his boyfriend dressed up.

'_If he knew just how crazy he's making me feel right now,'_ Ichigo trailed off, trying his hardest to keep his mind out of the proverbial gutter.

Leading Toshiro through the crowds, Ichigo scanned over the hundreds of heads to see where his friends were. Spotting Orihime's orange locks, he pushed through the groups of college students, making sure he didn't lose his grip on his boyfriend's hand. Meanwhile, the smaller male was glaring at everyone who looked their way, especially the girls. He had received many stares in his long afterlife: fearful, loving, envious, furious, proud, and appraising. But he had never been the cause for lustful gazes; they made him _extremely_ uncomfortable. The girls in the room must not have realized his orientation because every time he glared at a particular cluster, they would blush, giggle, whisper while giggling, and repeat. However, he wasn't the only one with a forming fan club; the ever oblivious Ichigo was garnering lust filled eyes due to his deadly combo of good looks and tight clothing. Well…if he were to be completely truthful, he, too, had a hard time keeping his eyes from trailing towards the orange head.

He knew Ichigo had a variety of clothes, but his current outfit must have been hidden somewhere deep inside his closet for nights like this. The substitute was wearing a five button black and white pinstriped vest over a red tight ribbed long sleeve. His black pants were similar to Toshiro's in that they narrowed as they reached the feet, but with black and white pinstripes to match his vest. On his feet was a pair of red converse with doodles in black Sharpie on the toes of each shoe. When it came to accessories, Ichigo opted for the classy look. He placed an old pocket watch, purchased from a thrift shop, in the left side pocket of his vest, letting the matching chain stretch across to the pocket on his right side. A pair of plain white belts hung loosely from his waist, and a casual black fedora with a red satin band finished off his club outfit.

'_Many of the men here are wearing similar hats…but I think it suits Kurosaki best,_' Toshiro thought absently as he avoided being stepped on. _'I just wish the females here hadn't realized that…and more.'_

"Kurosaki-kun! Toshiro-kun! You're finally here," Orihime yelled over the loud music. "I thought you wouldn't make it!"

Ichigo laughed heartily as he embraced all his friends. "I wouldn't miss your…actually. What is the occasion?"

"Ever the forgetful one, Kurosaki," Ishida muttered, coming up behind his girlfriend. "It's our one year anniversary. Why we're celebrating it with idiots like you, however, I'll never know."

"Uryuu," Orihime exclaimed, hugging her boyfriend happily. "Where did you run off to? I thought you were going to get drinks."

Sado popped out from behind Ishida, his hand raised in greeting.

"Sorry Inoue, I needed help bringing in the cake without crushing it."

"Chad! I didn't know you were in town," Ichigo called out. "When did you get back from Tokyo?"

"Four days ago. Ishida wanted my band to play tonight, so he called me out here."

"Oi! Kurosaki, don't you think you're forgetting someone?"

"Tatsuki?! I thought you were in China!"

The tomboy snorted, punching her friend square in the shoulder.

"You idiot, I sent you an email last week saying my coach was giving me a couple of days off. Don't you remember _anything_ we tell you?"

"He wouldn't be Kurosaki if he didn't," Toshiro scoffed.

Ichigo frowned, promptly letting go of the boy's hand to help Sado with the cake.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Quit poking fun at the guy who saved this damn town ten times over."

Everyone laughed at his comment, brushing it off and talking amongst each other, trying to catch up. Ichigo smiled widely as he talked with Sado and Tatsuki, happy to see his friends after such a long time apart. Amidst the joyous reunion, Toshiro felt somewhat left out. He knew Kurosaki hadn't meant to ignore him, but the stares he kept getting were starting to unnerve him and he silently hoped they would be leaving soon. Salvation came in the form of Orihime asking for a dance, and he was surprised at how easily he accepted the invitation. As he was dragged to the dance floor, he caught a glimpse of his boyfriend watching him leave. The teen's attentions were then redirected to Ishida and Sado, the latter of which offered him refreshments. Toshiro turned back to Orihime, who was dancing to some strange version of the Electric Slide. Sighing, he walked up to her, took her hand, and positioned one on his shoulder and his own on her waist. Despite the large amount of people around them, they were able to perform their own techno waltz. The rest of their group paused in their conversations to watch the two. Ichigo's eyes widened slightly; he never knew the captain could dance.

"Well, well, well Kurosaki, it seems your boyfriend is well versed in dances that do not necessarily require a sword," Ishida commented, mostly interested in how beautiful Orihime looked as she twirled around.

"Yeah…he wouldn't be Toshiro if he didn't," Ichigo murmured absently, enraptured by his boyfriend's grace.

As the song came to an end, Ishida came to relieve Hitsugaya, taking his girlfriend by the hand. Toshiro nodded curtly, sending a small smile to Orihime when she thanked him for the dance. Pivoting off his right foot, he started walking back to Ichigo, only to stop dead in his tracks.

Back where he had left the group, his boyfriend's back was facing him. That in itself wasn't the problem; it was the brunette hanging off of Ichigo who was the current target of his growing ire for social gatherings. Her arms were currently draped around Ichigo's shoulders, fingers threaded through his orange hair. The black fedora he had been wearing was now covering her head, and her other hand was rubbing circles into his back. And despite the fact he was only ten feet away from the pair, Ichigo made no move to push her away.

Toshiro did not like what he was seeing…

"Oh dear…who would leave a guy like you all alone?"

"Huh…?"

"Poor baby…you're friends left you here," a sultry voice said. "Don't worry though, I'll keep you company."

Looking up, Ichigo was met with the scariest thing he'd seen since the end of the Winter War: a brunette clown.

Well…to be fair, 'it' wasn't exactly a _clown_, but the girl's make up was so bright and ostentatious he couldn't help cringing at its resemblance to the circus performers. Ichigo's brain froze when he felt her breasts press against his chest as she took a seat in his lap. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he was relieved of his hat and her face was dangerously close to his.

"What's your name _handsome_," she whispered.

"Eh…"

"What a strange name for someone as cute as _you_," she cooed, tracing his chest.

"Umm…Miss? Do you mind getting off me," Kurosaki asked, not at all impressed by her bold actions. "This isn't exactly a comfortable position for me…"

"Oh? Then how about we find a bed or couch around here," she asked flirtatiously. "I'll make you feel _very_ comfortable when we do…"

Ichigo groaned inwardly, knowing any unnecessary noises on his part could be mistaken for arousal. When he felt fingers in his hair and a hand moving up and down his back, he knew this one would be difficult to get rid of.

"Look lady, I'm not into that kind of stuff, so can you get off of me already-"

"Oh! You naughty boy," she exclaimed. "We don't have to do it in a _bed_ if you don't want to. I'm up for anything…Chair, floor, wall…it's all up to you where we go…"

Where was his badge and zanpakuto when he needed them? His patience was being severely tested with this girl. If he didn't get rid of her quickly, an extremely pissed off captain could possibly freeze a good portion of the club's occupants. Then again, he could really care less about what happened to the other club goers; he was more worried about what would happen when said captain got hold of _him_.

"Alright lady, I want you to get off me right now," Ichigo growled. "You have three seconds before I push you off myself."

"Now we're talking-"

"One-"

"I can't wait to get you in bed-"

"Two-"

"You'll have the time of you're-Ah!"

"Times up," Ichigo said cheerily, picking his hat off the ground and replacing it on his head. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be relocating myself somewhere _you_ are not."

Jumping up from his chair, Ichigo hastily made his way to where Toshiro stood glaring. Skidding to a stop, the teen saw the jealousy and possessiveness in his boyfriend's eyes, making him smile. Before the shorter could open his mouth to speak, Ichigo pulled him forward. But instead of a direct kiss, he tilted his head to whisper into the boy's ears.

"Let's get out of here," he murmured gently, causing butterflies to erupt inside Hitsugaya's stomach. "There's an ice cream parlor nearby, wanna go?"

When he pulled back to offer his hand, a barely there smile had replaced the scowl on his boyfriend's face, making him swoon. Toshiro grabbed his hand shyly; tugging softly he elicited a chuckle from the tall male. Straightening up, Ichigo plucked his hat from his head and plopped it down on a head of white hair.

"Hmm…it looks better on you Toshiro…"

"Flattery will get you nowhere. Just get _me_ out of here in the next ten seconds and _then_ I'll consider forgiving you," the captain muttered, his grip on Ichigo's hand tightening as the scowl returned.

The teen laughed nervously, acknowledging the hidden threat. Throwing a glance back at the brunette he had tossed onto her arse, he openly grinned. Without giving it a second thought, Ichigo picked up his boyfriend, kissing him deeply in the process. He didn't have to turn around to know how affronted and embarrassed the girl looked at the moment.

With seven seconds and counting to get the two of them out of the damned club, Kurosaki threw all caution to the wind, and tapped into his Shinigami powers, using shunpo to pass through the crowds of teens high on fun and dancing. When they felt the cool night air against their skin, he slowed his sprint to a walk, letting Toshiro stand on his own two feet when they were a ways away from the club.

"Well?"

"…Two seconds left to spare."

"So…am I forgiven?"

Toshiro rolled his eyes.

"I said I'd _consider_ forgiving you if you got me out of there in ten seconds," he grumbled, reveling in the breeze that blew by. "…You said something about ice cream didn't you?"

Ichigo laughed, content with his answer.

"Alright, alright…ice cream it is then…"

Offering his hand to the boy one last time, Ichigo waited for the other to grab hold. He hadn't planned for the evening to end with them leaving the party so early, but he couldn't care less about the complaints he was sure to hear from his friends. For now, he was happy taking Toshiro down the streets of Karakura to get some ice cream.

Everything else was as it should be…dysfunction optional.

* * *

**Sneak Peek:**

**"Ow! Geeze Toshiro, what are you doing walking around in the dark anyway," Kurosaki asked accusingly, rubbing the side of his head.**

**"Blame your cell phone," Hitsugaya muttered crossly. "The annoying ringtone woke me up two times already."**

**"My cell…phone?"**


	7. He let's you answer his phone

It's the summer before I head off to University, so I'm aiming on trying to finish this story of mine. I hope you all enjoy this update. Part two will come up soon if the Fates permit. I had some difficulty with this chapter because I didn't really know where I wanted to go with it, but I think I did a decent job. Regardless, I promise to try harder with the next chapter and every chapter thereafter! But I prattle, on with the chapter!

* * *

**He doesn't flinch if you pick up his phone.**

'_Maketakunai shi!_

_Nakitakunai shi!_

_Warattetai kara!_

_Movin! Movin!'_

Toshiro's head snapped up at the music, his heart speeding slightly from the shock. Looking around the dark room, the alarm clock read 4:24 AM, drawing out an irritated moan from the boy. As he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he slowly raised himself from the mattress, not wanting to wake the teen laying next to him. Leaning against the head board, Hitsugaya blushed, remembering why he was in the bed in the first place.

* * *

_After leaving the club, Ichigo and Toshiro walked three blocks up to the ice cream parlor. It was still early in the evening so they decided to share a small bowl of Neapolitan and ordered a mixed three gallon carton to go. When they got back to the apartment, the substitute grabbed a large bowl and two spoons from the kitchen. Once he finished spooning out a generous amount of mint-chocolate chip, cookies-n'-cream, and strawberry ice cream, he redirected their party of two to his living room to watch a DVD that had come in the mail the other day. Time passed by slowly as they ate their shared bowl of ice cream in, commenting about the animated movie they were watching. By the time the movie had finished, their ice cream was long gone and the effects of the sugar waning. Toshiro was the first to get up, grabbing the discarded spoons and bowl to deposit them in the sink. Ichigo followed at a lazy pace, leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen as he watched his boyfriend rinse off the sticky items before placing them in the dishwasher._

"_You've only been over here two times before now," he remarked quietly, an easy smile covering his face. "And yet you already know your way around the apartment and its utilities."_

"_I'm not considered a genius for nothing, Kurosaki." Toshiro stated, pouring soap into the special chamber of the dishwasher._

"_Mhmm…"_

_As he entered the settings for the machine, Hitsugaya felt a pair of arms snake around his waist and engulf him in a hug. Toshiro locked the door and sighed, unconsciously leaning into the embrace as he let out a yawn, causing Kurosaki's smile to widen._

"_Come on, let's go to bed," he murmured into the shorter male's ear. "You're dead on your feet."_

"_All right…"_

_Without warning, Ichigo turned the boy around and lifted him into his arms, causing Toshiro to involuntarily wrap his legs around the teen's waist and his arms around his neck because of the sudden movement._

"_What the hell are you doing Kurosaki," Toshiro shouted in embarrassment, all traces of sleep wiped from his face. "Put me down!"_

"_Shh…you'll wake the neighbors," Ichigo whispered softly, adjusting his hold on the struggling figure. "Besides, I wanna sleep with you tonight."_

"_What," the short captain asked disbelievingly. "I am not having sex with you Kurosaki-" _

"_I never said we were gonna have _sex_ Toshiro," the substitute muttered exasperatingly. "Honestly, do you think the only reason I got together with you was to get into your pants?"_

_A heavy blush spread across Toshiro's face at the teen's statement as he shook his head fervently, glaring at Kurosaki's broad chest. Ichigo sighed and pulled one of his hands free to tilt the boy's flushed face up. Despite the scowl that was present on the captain's face, the orange head noticed the apprehension in the turquoise eyes staring at him._

"_I'm not gonna do anything if you're not up for it," he said as he rested his forehead against Toshiro's. "I won't touch you inappropriately; I won't even _touch_ you if that's what you want. I just want to spend the night with you…if that's okay…"_

_Toshiro watched Ichigo's face contemplatively, knowing the teen would wait patiently for his answer. It seemed innocent enough, sleeping in the same room, same bed. The teen was an odd character…For someone with such a rough exterior it came as a surprise to Hitsugaya that his boyfriend enjoyed cuddling with him whenever the opportunity arose. It also amazed the prodigy how quickly he had adapted himself to the other man's penchant for their close proximity. Although it had taken Kurosaki almost four months to persuade the aloof captain to 'bestow him a kiss', hand holding, hugging, and lap sitting came relatively easy afterwards…_

_Squashing the urge to redden at the memories, Toshiro nodded hesitantly._

"_Okay Kurosaki…but only for tonight…"_

* * *

At the moment, Ichigo was lying on his stomach; his head was buried underneath a pillow, with one arm holding it in place while the other held Toshiro's waist. Said captain relaxed his body gradually, allowing himself to sink back into the covers a bit more. As he looked out the window and into Karakura's ink-black sky, Hitsugaya felt sleep trying to pull him back into its addictive grasp. Just as he was about to succumb to its call, he was thrown into the world of consciousness by the insistent music coming from Kurosaki's direction.

'_Maketakunai shi!_

_Nakitakunai shi!_

_Warattetai kara!_

_Movin! Movin!'_

"Damn it," Toshiro muttered angrily, looking up to see something glowing on top of Ichigo's desk.

'_You have got to be kidding me…His CELLPHONE of all things?_'

Toshiro scrambled out of the bed and quickly padded over to Kurosaki's study area, shivering faintly when his feet touched the cold wood floor. Just as he was about to reach the desk, he walked into a stray pile of books, pitching him forward into the dark and on to the floor, setting off a chain reaction. The sound of his crash led to Ichigo jumping out of his bed, ready for the imaginary enemy he believed to have infiltrated his home, which led to him becoming tangled in his bed sheets, ultimately causing him to fall to the floor, on top of his smaller, more irritable boyfriend.

"Shit! Toshiro, are you okay," he cried out, scrambling to get off of the captain.

"Think about where you are sitting before you ask such a question," Toshiro growled, pulling himself up from the floor. "Who in the world leaves books lying about so carelessly anyway?"

Ichigo smiled bashfully, scratching his head out of habit.

"Hehehe…An over worked, underpaid, and unappreciated college student, doubling as a substitute Shinigami?"

A swift smack to the head and Ichigo's awkward smile was replaced with a scowl.

"Geeze Toshiro, what are you doing walking around in the dark anyway," Kurosaki asked accusingly, rubbing the side of his head.

"Blame your cell phone," Hitsugaya muttered crossly. "The annoying ringtone woke me up two times already."

"My cell…phone?"

Lifting himself up, Ichigo looked to his desk, noticing a flashing red light coming from his cell.

"I swear, if they call one more time," the captain mumbled as he got back on top of the bed.

"Now who would be calling me this late," Ichigo asked aloud, following Toshiro's example and climbing back into bed.

"Don't care who it is," the smaller boy muttered. "They're going to get an earful from me if I hear that stupid ring tone again."

"Toshiro…"

A sigh escaped the substitute as he rearranged the pillows and blankets around the two of them. When he leaned back onto the head board instead of shimmying down to his previous sleeping position, Toshiro looked up. Glazed brown eyes met his inquisitive stare before closing with another sigh. Hitsugaya's hard expression softened at the weariness in his boyfriend's shoulders. Reaching out his hand, he started calling out to him when…

'_Maketakunai shi!_

_Nakitakunai shi!_

_Warattetai kara!_

_Movin! Movin!'_

This time, knowing where the books were, Toshiro quickly walked around the bed and reached out for the phone. Looking back at his boyfriend for permission, Hitsugaya saw Ichigo calmly looking back at him before nodding his head. The captain hesitated for a moment, uncomfortable with the stare he was receiving, but his resolve to verbally lash the person on the other end was strengthened when the ringtone repeated itself.

'_Maketakunai shi-'_

"Hello. Who is this?" _**That way I can make your afterlife hell once you pass on…**_

'_Ichigo? Hi! It's Naomi. I just wanted to call and see if you wanted to come over and-'_

"This is not Ichigo." _**How could anyone mistake me for that imbecile?**_

'_Oh? Who is this then,'_ the girl asked, genuinely surprised.

"This is Hitsugaya Toshiro," he answered, trying to keep his temper under control.

'_Eh…are you his friend or something? I kind of wanted to talk to him and-'_

"I am his _boy_friend," Toshiro spit out bitingly. "Why do you need to speak with him?"

'_Oh…hehehe…Um…Shoot. I'm sorry; I must've gotten the wrong number! Bye!'_

"Hold on one sec-"

When he heard the dial tone, he pulled the phone away from his ear and shut it with a snap. Turning towards Ichigo, his eyes were steely whirlpools of confusion and barely there hurt. Before he could say anything, the orange haired teen held his hand up in a stopping motion.

"I heard it from here. It was Naomi, right?"

"Who is she?"

"She's in my study group for Psychology. I normally go to her for notes whenever I miss a class."

"Does she 'normally' call you in the early morning to discuss things like next week's midterm review?"

"Toshiro," Ichigo sighed his name, sinking into his bed a little. "What's wrong?"

"What makes you think that something is wrong?"

"Well, the way you're acting right now, for starters."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, being coy doesn't work for you."

"It does when I want it to."

"Quit changing the subject and tell me what's wrong."

"_Nothing_ is wrong."

"Now _that_ sounds like some bull-"

"Why would she call you so late in the evening?"

Brown eyes studied the boy standing before him. Toshiro's eyes stared directly into his while small pale hands held onto the college student's teal flip phone with a tense grip. Exhaling slowly, Kurosaki peeled the comforter and bed sheets from his body, lowered his feet to the floor, and scooted forward to sit on the edge of the bed. Beckoning the Shinigami to come to him, he tried to keep his heart from beating out of his chest. This was _not_ how he wanted to breach this particular topic, especially now of all times. He silently cursed the Fates above for putting him in this situation.

'_I saved this damn world! You think they'd cut me some slack here…_'

Not knowing where this was going, Toshiro complied, wary of what was going to be said as he accepted the hand and allowed Ichigo to gently pull him closer until he was standing directly in between his legs.

"Kurosaki," he whispered, his hands fidgeting with the phone in his hands.

"Toshiro, promise me that you'll keep quiet until I finish talking," the orange haired teen murmured fervently. "Promise me, please?"

Hearing the anxiety and seriousness in his voice, Toshiro couldn't deny his request. Silence followed for a minute or two as Ichigo tried to form the right words.

"It's kind of ironic in a sad…twisted kind of way…how I could face Aizen during the winter war but I can't seem to face you with this kind of stuff. Shit—before I dig myself a bigger hole, I swear that I never meant to keep this from you; it just didn't seem so important at the time and I figured—hoped really—that it wouldn't come back to bite me in the ass…And saying that the way I did probably didn't make this any easier for myself so-"

Thankfully, his ramblings were interrupted by a pair of delicious lips. Pulling back before either of them could forget what they were talking about in the first place, the captain gave him a pointed stare that told him to continue.

"…Damn…Is there any way I could possibly get one more of those—you know, to jump start my brain?"

"…"

"Didn't think so," Ichigo muttered, tucking some hair behind the boy's ear to keep it from falling into his face. "You know, some people say you're born gay but that would mean I'm interested in all types of guys, right? But nah…I'm just interested in you."

A soft snort was heard, but the taller male ignored it. Even though he couldn't see much in the dark, he knew his boyfriend was blushing. He just wished what he was about to say…wasn't what he was about to say.

"Thing is…you're my first boyfriend…but this isn't my first relationship."

* * *

Next Chapter's Preview:

**_Was it possible for Shinigami to have a heart attack, because the pain that was engulfing his chest made his ears ring while Kurosaki's words echoed in his mind._**


	8. He knows when he's wrong

Here's part two of my Cellphone chapter for His Silent Ways. Unfortunately, those of you who follow my story will not be happy with the direction I am taking with my story. On the flip side, I can assure you that it will be resolved in due time. I'm working on the next chapter so I hope you will all bare with me on this.

Also, I whipped up a quick timeline to (mostly) help myself make sense of my story. I figure it might be of use to my readers as well.

**Relationship established** - March 14th [White Day]

**Prologue** - Early September

**1 week leave** - Mid September

**Airport - **Monday

**Eyes** - Monday

**Foods - **Tuesday

**Sweater - **Wednesday

**Public - **Thursday

**Cellphone - **Thursday (Early Friday morning)

**Cellphone Pt.2 Act 1 **- Thursday (Early Friday morning)

**Cellphone Pt.2 Act 2** - Four months later [Mid December]

On with the show!

* * *

**"_Thing is…you're my first boyfriend…but this isn't my first relationship."_**

Was it possible for Shinigami to have a heart attack, because the pain that was engulfing his chest made his ears ring while Kurosaki's words echoed in his mind. Toshiro stared at his boyfriend, mouth slightly agape as Ichigo looked back at him with guilt filled eyes.

"H-how," Toshiro winced inwardly at his stutter but pushed through the shock. "How could you keep something like this from me? She doesn't even know you're in a relationship?"

"I didn't mean to, I swear. I just couldn't find a way to bring it up without it blowing up in my face like it is right now," the teen said in a quiet voice.

"But if you had the courage to try before now, then maybe you wouldn't be treading on such thin ice with me right now," Hitsugaya bit out with a raised voice. "Why did you feel like you needed to hide the truth? Why couldn't you tell me? "

"Would it have made a difference," Ichigo snapped, his brown eyes matching the glare from the smaller male. "Every time I thought about telling you, I knew it would end up this way—with us fighting! What would you have me do, Toshiro?"

The amount of sadness in his boyfriend's eyes was palpable.

"Care enough about 'us' to want to try…Care about _me_…_**Trust**_ me," Toshiro whispered sadly.

Ichigo ripped his eyes away from his piercing gaze, feeling his world crumble at the hurt in his boyfriend's voice.

"Please…_please_ don't ask me to do that because," he paused, knowing that he had sealed his fate. "I don't deserve any of the happy moments we've shared these past eight months. I don't deserve it…Us…_You_…Your _trust_…Or any chance of _loving_ you."

Something clicked in Hitsugaya's mind. The white haired boy shook his head in disbelief, managing to put everything together from what he remembered from the phone call and Ichigo's confession.

"You never broke up with her…did you?"

The silence that followed was earth shattering.

A sudden wave of freezing reiatsu was unleashed, causing Kurosaki to release his hold on the boy's hands out of surprise and fear. When he looked up, the blue green eyes he loved so dearly were now stark white and filled with anger and hurt.

"Toshi-"

"Do not **talk** to me. Don't even _touch_ me," the young prodigy hissed vehemently as he backed away from the substitute. "I can't _**believe**_ I fell for it—I'm such a fool."

Ichigo's eyes widened at the harsh statement, his body flinching away as if struck. Just as he was about to reach out to his boyfriend, Hitsugaya Toshiro was gone, leaving a small crater of ice and splintered wood in his wake. Staring at the frozen surface of his bedroom floor, Ichigo's heart began slowing itself down to a deadly pace as the repercussions of his cowardice settled itself into his heart, mind, and soul.

"You're not the fool, Toshiro…I am…"

"But Capta~in, we haven't gone to the Human World for a mission in so long," Rangiku whined from her side of the office. "I'm running out of makeup and I wanted to buy you a present for your birthday!"

The sweeping sound of a brush was her answer.

"You're such a spoil sport," she huffed as she picked herself up from the couch to stand by his desk. "I know you don't like celebrating your birthday but I promise not to drink too much this year! I'll even do all the paperwork for that day!"

More brush strokes followed by an equal amount of silence.

Sighing softly, Matsumoto reached over and pulled the brush from Toshiro's hand which was as clean as the paper it was pushed up against. All traces of playfulness were replaced by her deep concern for the captain. After setting the brush and papers aside, she knelt down next to the boy's chair and wrapped him in a non-suffocating hug, smiling when she was met with little resistance.

It had been almost four months since Toshiro had returned to Soul Society three days earlier than his expected return. When asked separately by the Commander General and Matsumoto why he had returned ahead of schedule, Hitsugaya simply stated four days were more than enough to revitalize him. While the first division's captain was satisfied with the answer, the busty strawberry blonde was suspicious enough to start an investigation. Knowing her captain's lips were shut tight on the matter, she called Ichigo to see if he would be more accommodating. However, it seemed the substitute's phone was never on or disconnected because her calls never made it through. Her next move was asking Renji and Rukia if they knew anything; their responses weren't all that helpful but the vice captain found out that Ichigo had been skimping out on his substitute Shinigami duties for the past three months.

Kurosaki's dedication to his duties was well known so this did not sit well with Rangiku either. Her next call was a major breakthrough even though it didn't exactly complete the circuit for her investigation. Orihime had sounded worried over the phone when she described how 'zombie-like' their orange haired friend had been acting. He barely left his apartment and completely buried himself in his studies and work. All their human friends had tried snapping him out of his self-destructive attitude but to no avail. Not even the insistent pleas of his father and two younger sisters could tear him away.

Meanwhile, on Soul Society's end, Toshiro was also becoming more and more recluse as well. At first, he seemed normal enough—barking at Matsumoto to complete her own paperwork, running his division with the same accuracy and discipline that earned his subordinates respect, and taking on the occasional hollow attacks near the borders of Rukongai.

All of that began to change when Toshiro and Rangiku's names appeared on the list for an upcoming mission in the Human World. Before his lieutenant had a chance to write out her shopping list, the white haired prodigy pulled some strings and called in some favors from his fellow captains. Within three hours, Hell butterflies were sent out to all captains, vice-captains, and third seats; Shunsui and Nanao would be dispatched instead. This occurred several more times with each incident being met without question. It was generally believed by the other divisions that the tenth captain just wanted a break from Human World missions for the time being to tune up his idle and slightly neglected division. The matter was dropped from their minds and forgotten, but Rangiku knew better.

With every mission he evaded, Hitsugaya took on more and more paperwork. He even went as far as to completing his lieutenant's forms without complaint when he noticed his own stack was dwindling. His barks became soft grunts, his subordinates noticed a lack of mental presence while he presided over their training sessions, and missions to Rukongai's borders began to increase. Eventually, Toshiro took to sleeping on his office couch as opposed to walking twelve feet down the hall to his personal quarters. With his bizarre behavior reaching its peak with today's latest episode, Matsumoto's hibernating Motherly Instincts rose from its bedchamber.

"Toshiro," she murmured softly, not afraid to address her captain informally. "Please stop this. You're beginning to worry me, and you know how I hate getting wrinkles."

"…"

"You know, it's kind of obvious that Kurosaki-kun is the source of this little fit of yours," she pointed out matter-of-factly.

A slight narrowing of the eyes told her she was dead on.

"Will you tell me what happened between the two of you to bring me to the point of almost willingly doing paperwork?"

"It's nothing…Unhand me so I can finish up my work, Matsumoto," he mumbled tonelessly.

"You mean that stack of blank papers," the vice captain asked, pointing to them as if they had offended her. "Captain, you finished _all_ your paperwork _hours_ ago."

Toshiro followed her finger, face as vacant as ever. When his gaze returned to her, he looked nonplussed and very…lost?

"That can't be…I barely started my pile."

"Earlier this morning; eight o'clock to be exact."

"What do you want, Matsumoto?"

"To help you, Captain."

"I need no such thing, let alone from a chronically drunk lieutenant who constantly weasels her way out of administrative duties."

"Your snarky mouth isn't going to keep me from pursuing this."

"There's nothing to pursue."

"The truth is always worth the chase if it means my captain will get better."

"…"

"Please Captain…?"

"…All I ever wanted was the truth…Look where it landed me."

Ice blue eyes widened at the somewhat reluctant response. With a relieved smile, she quickly rose from her position on the floor and proceeded to lead Hitsugaya to the office couch. Once they were situated, Rangiku couldn't help but think back on what had brought them to the couch only five months previously. She hoped that whatever it was _this_ time, she would be able to fix it with the same amount of ease. They sat together in relative silence, much like before, but the strawberry blonde knew the wait would be worth it in the end.

"_Thank you all for your hard work this semester. Please enjoy your winter break and remember: spring semester is just around the corner."_

Sitting somewhere in the middle of the well lit classroom, Ichigo only left one ear open for his Calculus professor. This would be their last formal meeting as a class and then they were free to run rampant for the next two and a half weeks. Technically, it wasn't mandatory for him to attend this last session but he had wanted to receive his final class grade in person as opposed to waiting for it to be posted on his online academic records. Either way, he didn't really feel like lounging around his apartment until he had to leave for his shift as a Concierge for The Embassy Suites.

When he noticed his fellow classmates packing up and leaving, he followed their actions at a more leisurely pace; he didn't have someplace to go any time soon. When Ichigo finished stuffing his papers, he casually threw his bag over his shoulder and made his way to the exit, only to be stopped by his professor.

"Kurosaki-san, a moment please?"

Pausing mid-step, he pivoted off the heel of his planted foot and started walking over to the lecture podium. His teacher was a little old man who was one of the few fortunate ones to retain a full head of white hair at his age. Thankfully, Professor Sugiyama wasn't like most professors his age who were strict, calculating, and still believed students should be struck with a ruler or a paddle for their stupidity. He was one of the more…fuddy duddy types, who was content with teaching his subject matter and giving students the grades they had earned.

"Yes Sugiyama-sensei," he responded politely.

"Kurosaki-san, I am very surprised—but not disappointed—with the results of your past two tests as well as your overall performance in this class."

"Oh, thank you Sensei. Hearing that means a lot to me," Ichigo said with a smile, adjusting his bags shoulder strap to a more comfortable position. "Is that all you wanted to-"

"_However_, I noticed that all this started after a particular midterm, wherein you were unable to attend the scheduled exam date because of a visiting family. Am I wrong?"

"No sir, you're correct," Kurosaki answered, unsure of where this conversation was leading to.

"Whoever managed to bring out the intellectual standing before must be a very dear to you," Sugiyama-sensei stated wisely. "I hope they continue to be a good influence to you in the upcoming years."

"…I hope so too."

Bidding his professor goodbye, the student quietly left the room and walked down the hall aimlessly. His fellow upper and lower classmen passed by him and shuddered when they caught a glimpse of his expression before he walked through the double glass doors and out into Karakura's cold sidewalks.

A hollow smile was plastered on Ichigo's face.

* * *

_**Sneak Peek for the next chapter:**_

_"There is no love without forgiveness, Captain. Just like there is no forgiveness without love."_

_"That's the problem, Matsumoto. I'm not sure there was ever any love to begin with..."_


	9. He's lost without you

Here we are with another update! Oh, and some good (or bad, whichever way you may see it) news: In six more chapters this story will be complete. Normally I would upload them all at once, but I wouldn't want to overload your minds with too much IchiHitsu at once. Expect three (3, tres, san, tatlo, etc.) flashbacks. Actually, I really enjoyed writing the flashbacks...

On another note, I looked back at my timeline for this story and I realized there was an error with how old I made Ichigo. In the manga story line, he's 16, and in my story line, I had planned for him to be 19. However, after sifting through the Bleach wiki and my notes, Ichigo is really 20 years old in my story. Therefore, I feel extremely stupid because throughout all of my chapters, I've referred to him as a teen. Under normal, detail oriented circumstances, I would go through chapters one through eight to correct them but... It's too troublesome. I will only be fixing chapters nine through fifteen where needed. Then again, many of you might not care for what I just said, but I just wanted to put it out there.

And lastly, there will be a surprise pairing in this fic and they'll be playing a small role. If you guys review, try and take a stab at who they might be. I'd like to see what you come up with.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Embassy Suites, how may I help you this evening?"

Damn. He hated how _pleasant _his voice sounded just then. This job was going to turn him into such a pansy, he could just **feel** it. Quickly typing in the customer information, check-in and checkout dates, verifying the credit card authenticity, and any final requests, Ichigo wished the woman a good day and hung up the phone. Exhaling through his nostrils, Kurosaki checked his wristwatch before giving his coworker a wave. The older man nodded and returned to his typing, throwing a 'happy holidays' into the air as the college student made his way to the employee locker room. Reaching up to his neck, Kurosaki loosened his tie a bit as he fiddled with his locker's combination lock. After retrieving his bag, he slipped on his street shoes, donned his winter coat, and clocked out before leaving through the hotel lobby.

Outside it was snowing lightly, coating every still object in a near perfect layer of white. Lights, wreaths, and tinsel seemed to cover all the storefronts he passed by, reminding him he still had to purchase his family's Christmas presents. Popping in his ear buds, Kurosaki set his music player's volume high to drown out the holiday songs playing on the Metro-PA system. Eventually, he lost himself in the crowds of laughing, shopping, and all around joyful people. Sadly, each smile reminded him why this particular Christmas wouldn't be merry and constantly brought his mind back to that night four months ago.

Face set in his trademark scowl, the orange haired Shinigami stuffed his gloved hands into his coat pockets and allowed himself to block out his surroundings. The worst thing he could have possibly done was lie to Toshiro about Naomi. The second worst thing he could have possibly done was not go after his distraught boyfriend. And by some sick miracle or twist of fate, he managed to bungle both of them. He had no one to blame but himself.

After the captain had disappeared from his apartment, Ichigo picked up his frozen cell phone from where it laid and chucked it out the window. He didn't leave his spot on the edge of his bed for the next two days.

When he couldn't take the solitude and idleness any longer, he dragged himself from his room to take a long, hot shower, changed into some halfway decent clothes, grabbed his mp3 player and wallet, and took the next bus as far as it would take him. When it reached its last stop, he waited for the next bus and hopped on. This continued hour after hour with him listening to his music at full blast, ignoring the looks random strangers and each bus driver threw at him. He just wanted to forget everything.

After the buses stopped operating, thirty minutes and 13520 yen later he was sitting on an express train for the Kyoto prefecture. For the next three days he walked around Kyoto, took in the sights, stayed at hostels, and tried to clear his mind as best he could. When he finally felt he had cooled down enough, he took a train back to Karakura and things went back to normal.

"Huh, as if," he muttered in disdain.

With a slight grimace, he remembered how Rukia and Orihime had come by his apartment the other day and how both were worried about his health and lack of presence within their group of friends. But the moody substitute only listened to them with half a mind and half a heart. He brushed off the petite Shinigami's complaints about him slacking off, saying that he wanted to focus on _his_ life for a while and how it wasn't fair that after all he had done he wasn't allowed to lead a somewhat normal life. This got him a slap and an angry red handprint on the side of his face. When Orihime tried her luck, the results were pretty much the same: a matching handprint on his other cheek and a look of pity being sent his way.

He was one messed up bastard.

"And it only gets better with every fucking day, now doesn't it," Ichigo grumbled, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "I gotta find a way to apologize to those two…"

Reaching the corner of an intersection, Kurosaki exhaled slowly, head tilted towards the grey sky as he closed his eyes. Small snowflakes landed on his cheeks and forehead, melted, and slid down the planes of his face. He was just too tired to care if he was blocking people who needed to cross the street. Was it wrong for him to want one more minute before he had to return to the real world?

A small, but sad smile spread across his lips. The cool sensation was welcomed and familiar…It felt just like those soft, smooth lips that were always cold at first but warmed up after a few minutes of heated movement. Sometimes those lips were accompanied by curious fingers that would run themselves through his unruly hair or cling to the front of his shirt. But the one constant that would always make him weak kneed was the look of adoration, content, and barely concealed happiness in those beautiful turquoise eyes.

A single tear trailed down the students face, mingling with the melted water.

"Toshiro…I'm so sorry," he whispered, opening his eyes.

Ichigo shook the melancholy expression from his face and started crossing. The orange haired youth was already half way across the thirty foot crosswalk when he realized he was the only one walking. What happened next seemed to last for an eternity. Despite how loud his music was playing, the blaring horn of a semi-truck pierced through his J-Rock song and reverberated throughout his body. Brown eyes slowly turned to the left, only to widen dramatically at the sight of headlights coming closer, and towards him. His body became numb like whenever Kon took over his body for him, only this time there was a feeling of dread mixed in. What was worse was that he knew he could get out of the way if he just moved, but he couldn't bring himself to budge.

'_So much for a heroic death,'_ he thought sarcastically. _'At least I know where I'm going…'_

And then everything stopped completely as a hand grabbed onto his wrist and yanked him forward. Just like that, time resumed its normal speed and Ichigo silently berated himself for his foolishness and selfish thoughts. Tracing the hand on his wrist back to its owner, he fully intended to thank the stranger but stopped when he saw just who was holding onto his hand.

"I-It's you!"

* * *

Lying back on the fluffy couch, Matsumoto stared straight ahead, allowing the information to rearrange itself in her mind. Forget the fact that this was probably the most her captain had spoken in all their years of knowing each other. This-this was (dare she say) EPIC! With a few calming breaths, she returned her attention to her melancholic captain, the sight of which struck a chord in her heart. For outward appearances, he was as fit and healthy as any of his fellow captains (barring Ukitake). But it took a trained and caring eye to see past the façade. His once vibrant eyes were now empty and dull, and a permanent frown marred his face while he carried himself with an air of dejection. Even his voice had lost the cool commanding edge that had made her captain so unique. It was frightening to see him in such a state.

"Toshiro? Are you ready for your consultation," she asked with a little smile, trying to coax one from her superior.

His blue green eyes shifted to her, a flash of anxiousness appearing briefly. With a quick opening of the heart, Toshiro leaned back and nodded in consent.

"Perfect. Now, before you kill me for what I'm about to say, I need you to remember that this is just how _I_ see this little predicament," Rangiku murmured softly. "I've already promised you and myself that I would do anything to help make this relationship work out because you deserve happiness, too."

A softness entered Hitsugaya's eyes as the corners of his mouth twitched.

"From what you've told me, you have every right in the world to dump Kurosaki-kun on his ass and maybe even take a few swings at him with Hyourinmaru," she stated calmly. "There is no way anyone should be forgiven for the level of deceit that he pulled on you."

She took a deep breath before carrying on.

"But neither of you are just _anyone_. I've been around centuries longer than both of you combined, Toshiro. In _all_ my years I have never seen a pair like you anywhere," the vice captain affirmed, taking hold of the white haired male's hands to emphasize her point. "You and Ichigo have something that everyone fantasizes over and cries themselves to sleep for. You're still too young to know this feeling, but after two centuries in Soul Society, everything becomes mundane and less meaningful. Even love."

"I don't understand," Toshiro whispered in confusion.

"Only a few of us have been able to experience a worthwhile relationship but they never lasted. One would either die in battle or things just became too repetitive because our long life spans. In fact, the last time I ever saw a pair that came close to you two was Captain Shunsui and Captain Ukitake, but because Ukitake-san's sickness they had to end it."

The small captain's jaw dropped slightly. Shunsui and Ukitake? What other pairings was he not aware of?

"But at the sight of how…fitting and _happy_ you two were, even though you're separated by life and death…You've given everyone some hope that finding love is worth the risk."

Toshiro shook his head defiantly.

"You're wrong. Look at where we are right now, Matsumoto. How can we possibly bring others hope when there's no hope for _us_," he muttered bitterly, refusing to accept what was being said. "He _lied_ to me about who she was…How can I trust him now?"

"You can't," Rangiku whispered. "But you can _try_ to gain each other's trust again. You're so angry, Toshiro, and I understand why. There is no reason why you should trust him ever again but…You shouldn't throw away something so beautiful. There will **always** be obstacles set in front of you, but don't you think it's worth working through it together to make it to a happy ending…?"

A single tear fell from his cheek to his lap, staining his haori.

"I can't hate him, but what he did hurt me," he ground out, trying to contain the overflow of emotions. "I thought—I don't know _what_ I thought but it felt **real**. His words, his actions, and the way he looked at me or held my hand…Now…I keep thinking that none of it was genuine. I'm not sure I can forgive him for this…"

"There is no love without forgiveness, Captain," the strawberry blonde answered without hesitation. "Just like there is no forgiveness without love."

"That's the problem, Matsumoto. I'm not sure there was ever any love to begin with..."

A reassuring hand gripped his shoulder in a comforting hold.

"Despite all that's happened, it's _always _been there," she muttered affirmatively, "because it _never_ left."

* * *

**Sneak Peek:**

**_"Even if I wanted to talk about it, what makes you think I would confide in you." _**

**_ "Because I'm a caring soul who wants to spread love, joy, and kittens to whole damn world." _**


	10. He always wants to know more about you

**Another chapter for you guys. I've decided to upload two chapters this time around because I'm in a pretty happy mood; I just finished watching Rock Musical Bleach Live Bankai Show 002. Made me smile...**

**I wonder if you all will be surprised by the two new members of the 'Ichigang'? Either way, I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Lastly, thank you for the reviews; I enjoy reading them every time a new one pops up in my inbox.**

**On with the chapter!**

* * *

**Recap:**

**_'So much for a heroic death,'_ he thought sarcastically. _'At least I know where I'm going…'_**

**And then everything stopped completely as a hand grabbed onto his wrist and yanked him forward. Just like that, time resumed its normal speed and Ichigo silently berated himself for his foolishness and selfish thoughts. Tracing the hand on his wrist back to its owner, he fully intended to thank the stranger but stopped when he saw just who was holding onto his hand.**

** "I-It's you!"**

"You piece of shit. Are you trying to get yourself killed," the man snarled in annoyance as he tossed the Shinigami towards the end of the crosswalk.

"Shut the fuck up you asshole. I didn't need your help," Ichigo growled. "What the hell are you doing here anyway? Did Urahara let you out to play for once?"

"Ha! The nutty professor? He knocked himself out with that weak sake of his," the other male barked in laughter. "Besides, I needed some fresh air; Ulquiorra and that damn red haired kid were annoying the fuck out of me."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, already accustomed to the taller male's constant bitching about his house mates.

"Cut the crap Grimmjow, what are you doing out here? If other Shinigami catch a whiff of you, you'll be about as crappy looking as the day we found you two."

* * *

_The Gods always managed to find a way to bring the oddest people out of the wood works and into his life. Again. About five months after the war ended, Urahara recruited the Ichigang, Toshiro, Matsumoto, and Renji to retrieve two physical anomalies that were originating in Hueco Mundo._

_After some reluctance, the small eight man group departed for the hollow's domain and were subsequently slapped silly at the sight of a living, __**breathing**__ Grimmjow carrying a half-materialized Ulquiorra on his back. Furthermore, if it weren't for Orihime's angry cries, Ichigo, Rukia, and the other Shinigami would have attacked the two weary Espadas. Making all of them promise to 'play nice' and 'get along', Inoue made quick work of the teal haired man's major scars and open wounds with her Shun Shun Rika. Within ten minutes, his body was as seamless as the day they met. Not waiting to be thanked, she moved over to her former prison guard and with a tearful smile and readied herself for a long healing session. _

_While the two strange friends talked to each other in low voices, Grimmjow and the others watched on in awkward silence. At some point Ichigo got impatient and asked how it was the two of them were still alive. Initially, the former Numero Seis Espada was dead set against talking to the idiotic strawberry but a stern look from Orihime and her patient forced his hand._

_Apparently, after Ichigo had left with Unohana, Grimmjow arrived to the base of the tower all bloody and cross eyed with fatigue. But before he could pass out, he felt a strong presence approach him and brush itself against his reiatsu. Out of sheer curiosity, he reached out with a sand covered hand and was shocked to feel something beneath his fingers. After getting a good grip on the object, he yanked it out from some sort of invisible rip in the dimension._

_He went on to describe how the Numero Quatro Espada's hand, arm, head, and chest began to materialize out of thin air. Eventually half of his other arm and the rest of his torso regenerated themselves but the 'miracle' stopped there. Grimmjow was more than happy to leave the bastard where he found him but something in his head told him otherwise. So after some inner fights and vulgar grumbling, he wrapped the unconscious Espada in what was left of his jacket and went in search of food and shelter._

_Once Orihime had finished her treatment, the Ichigang informed the two Espadas that they were sent by Kisuke to bring them back to his shop for further investigation. Although they received the news rather well, the odd pair went off by themselves to discuss it. When they finally returned they put forth only two requests: They were not to be carted off to Soul Society and they wanted gigais._

_Within an hour, the retrieval squad plus two returned to the shop's 'basement'. The former soldiers' requests were met with ease and soon they were outfitted with their own gigais, customized to suppress their spiritual pressure to human levels to keep their presence hidden, much like Rukia's. It took__** hours**__ of persuading (or fighting and yelling) to convince the other Shinigami to allow the two refugees to be left in Urahara and __Yoruichi's__ care, but in the end the strict bunch gave in (namely Hitsugaya, Rukia, and Renji)._

_In exchange for keeping their secret, the two of them were asked to seal their swords inside special containment units and could only use them for supervised sparring sessions along with random house checks conducted by Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto. They were also expected to wear a tracking bracelet that also acted as distress beacon if they ran into trouble. As for boarding compensation, they would help the blonde shop owner in testing out his latest inventions, take care of the storefront, and complete household chores. At Ulquiorra's quiet request, the two were enrolled at Kurosaki's high school, much to Ichigo's and Grimmjow's chagrin._

_And that's how they lived for the past four years, yet another two members of the, already discombobulating, Urahara Shoten family._

_

* * *

_

"Apparently the man upstairs wanted me to save your sorry ass," the teal haired man snapped. "Just what the hell were you thinking anyway?"

"Sure. Whatever. See you later, asshole."

Ichigo pushed past the taller male, keen on getting back to his warm apartment. He wasn't really surprised to see Grimmjow follow him but being smashed into a nearby brick wall was new. The people around them whispered and edged away from the rough looking pair, wary of the killer intent emanating from them.

"Look, you scrawny ass **bitch**, if you're gonna go and get yourself killed, you might as well do it with a sword in your hand and a blade sticking out of your chest," Grimmjow half shouted, half growled.

"Piss off you damn panther! I don't need you telling me what I already know," Kurosaki yelled, clawing at the other's arm. "Just get the hell offa' me!"

Light blue eyes narrowed dangerously. Snorting loudly, the cat-eyed man released the upset Shinigami with a knowing grin.

"This is about that jail bait boyfriend of yours, isn't it?"

"Fuck off."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

The two started walking down the sidewalk together exchanging 'friendly' shoulder punches and quicker insults. In their wake was a crowd of slack jawed civilians unsure of what they just witnessed.

"Is Ulquiorra over that cold of his," Ichigo asked when they reached another four way intersection. "Last time I saw him he was paler than his _normal_ skin color."

"Yeah, but now he's griping about how 'overbearing' I am, or some shit," Jaegerjaquez scoffed. "Honestly, aren't we _supposed_ to take care of each other? I don't even know why I'm with the freak."

Kurosaki rolled his eyes as he switched songs on his music player.

"Grimm, even Urahara said you were smothering the guy with your bedside manners. You were acting like he contracted an incurable disease or something," he muttered humorously. "I swear it was downright, sickeningly _sweet_ the way you took care of him."

A barely visible blush spread across the other male's cheeks at the comment.

"Yeah, yeah, shut the hell up, all right? And I didn't forget about earlier, either," the teal haired man mumbled. "I haven't seen the kid 'round here the past couple of months. What'd you do? Repel him with that ugly face of yours?"

"Even if I wanted to talk about it, what makes you think I would confide in you," he asked as he checked both sides of the street for oncoming traffic before crossing.

"Because I'm a caring soul who wants to spread love, joy, and kittens to whole damn world," Grimm replied sarcastically.

"You're breaking my heart, you really are."

The snow began falling down in copious amounts as the pair continued their trek to the college student's apartment. They had just entered a more comfortable silence when Jaegerjaquez punched the substitute in the shoulder to grab his attention.

"You really are an immature prick, you know that," the Shinigami grumbled, smacking the other upside the head.

"Just because we tried to kill each other in the past," he spoke in a gruff voice, ignoring the jibe and the whack to his skull, "doesn't mean we can't be _kinda_ friendly now."

"…Yeah I know," Kurosaki replied quietly.

An unsaid understanding was exchanged as they walked. A grudging friendship had been formed long ago despite their differences.

"When are you gonna answer my question?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Grimmjow. Just leave it alone."

"Don't give me that crap, Kurosaki," he barked, grabbing Ichigo by his jacket. "I'll 'leave it alone' when you tell me what happened."

"It doesn't concern you, so stop acting like you care about what's going on between me and Toshiro!"

"Maybe I would if you would quit going around in circles," the taller man shot back. "Seriously, what happened between you and that icicle? One minute I walk in on you two being lovey-dovey on the kitchen counter and the next both of you have fallen off the face of the earth."

"Why do you care anyway," Kurosaki asked angrily, frustrated with the man and trying to pull his jacket out of the other's grip. "The two of you barely talked to each other when you were in the same room. What does it matter if we haven't been up and around?"

By now they were outside the lobby of Ichigo's apartment complex. His breath was coming out in fast puffs while Grimmjow was fixing him with a pity-filled glare. Icy blue clashed with heated brown for a few seconds until the taller of the two broke away to look out at the passing cars.

"Because believe it or not, he's Ulquiorra's friend and _he's_ concerned," Grimm admitted quietly.

"What…?"

"The two of them got to talking a month before you started dating and they hit it off. Kid always stops by the shop to talk with him when he comes to the human world and before he heads back," he paused before he spoke again. "Four months ago he didn't come by when he left and he hasn't been back since."

"But-"

Out of nowhere, the violent man punched Ichigo square in the jaw, a deadly glint in his blue eyes.

"**I **may not have deep conversations with the kid, but Ulquiorra has a soft spot for him. Plus, he enjoys the intellectual conversation, or some shit like that," he mentioned with a rough smile. "Your other friends have been to the shop, too, complaining about how bitchy you've been acting."

Kurosaki stared at his friend in disbelief and barely concealed anger.

"You two had better fix whatever bad blood you got between you because it sure ain't helping the rest of us."

And with that, Grimmjow flicked his hand to wave goodbye before Ichigo could say anything or take a swing at him. Within a matter of seconds, the teal haired Espada was mixed in with the crowd. Kurosaki watched him go, shaking his head at this newfound information as he wiped the blood from his mouth. Staring up into the sky once more, a downhearted aura came over him. Memories of their conversations flashed through his mind, but not once did his estranged boyfriend ever mention anything personal or ask anything that went beyond pleasant conversation or simple curiosity.

"I guess I don't have the privilege to ask you those types of things anymore...Do I, Toshiro?"

* * *

**Sneak Peek for the next chapter:**

_"I don't know about 'comedic genius,'" he commented lightly. "But it's better than being called a 'hot-headed pain in the ass.'"_

_"I thought of it as being a term of endearment." _


	11. He arrives to your dates early

Enjoy.

* * *

It was less than a week before Christmas and everyone was in high spirits. Everywhere he turned as he walked through the division halls, his subordinate's faces held smiles. Hitsugaya had finally given his vice captain permission to go on a solo, non-business related mission so that she would stop pestering him about her need to do Christmas shopping. His office was quieter, much to his relief, and now he could work in peace. Entering the cold room with a cup of newly brewed Earl Grey tea, he took a seat behind his desk and proceeded to organize his documents. There weren't as many hollow incidents because of the current season, but after New Years the numbers would rise like clockwork.

Rifling through the stack for a particular budget report, he inhaled the soothing scent of his tea before taking a long sip. Setting his cup back on the table, he continued scanning the year's expenses and wrote small notes on a separate sheet of paper every so often. In the distance he could hear the chimes signaling the time: four o'clock. He had two more hours of solid daylight for work. As he was about to undertake another financial report, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Rising from his seat he walked over to the coffee table situated in front of his couch. On top was a solitary red candle, already lit and emitting a sweet smell.

"Strange…This wasn't here when I left," he muttered to himself.

Lifting up the candle, his eyebrow rose in curiosity when he saw a small piece of paper stuck to the bottom. Setting the object down, he picked up the note, recognizing Matsumoto's messy scrawl.

'_Captain,_

_I found this tucked away in your desk when I was cleaning up. I don't know why you don't use it more often; it smells heavenly! I'm leaving for the Senkaimon as soon as I finish writing this. I'll see you when I get back tomorrow!_

_~Matsumoto'_

For a brief second, Hitsugaya wondered what he should be more suspicious about: Matsumoto cleaning his work area or her snooping about his belongings. Reaching out to snuff out the small flame, he paused, becoming entranced with how it flickered and swayed. Staring deeply into its center, a memory came to the forefront of his drowsy mind.

* * *

_Some people believed the greatest of romances begin with a glance from across the room that leaves both beings weak in the knees and floating on cloud nine. With just a _look._ This was not the case for two specific Shinigami._

_One month ago Kurosaki Ichigo had approached him, Hitsugaya Toshiro, with a single white rose and a confession. Before a proper response could be formed, the substitute Shinigami told him not to think too much about it because it was something he 'wanted to get off his chest'.'Without another word, the orange haired teen left quietly and didn't look back._

_Sadly, telling him 'not to think too much about it' had the exact opposite effect on the captain. Every waking minute thereafter was spent contemplating the teen's words and actions and picking at every little thing that could have sparked Ichigo's interest, and subsequent attraction, towards him. __Each night his vice captain would find him staring out at the night sky, almost as if the stars could provide him the answer he was looking for.__What traits of his could the young Shinigami possibly find appealing? He couldn't find many due to his cold demeanor and he was confident that his admirer wasn't so shallow to only care for looks. And just how long had he been regarded in such a way? They had met many times in the past, held decent conversations, and fought alongside each other. There was also the conspiracy surrounding his defect from Soul Society because of Kusaka's greed, but did any of those happenings give Kurosaki enough time to develop feelings?_

_Unsurprisingly, it was yet another human tradition that brought him what he needed. White day: exactly one month after the day of roses and chocolates. Exactly one month after Kurosaki Ichigo's damn confession._

_Luckily he had been able to file for a two day rest leave on such short notice. Within minutes of arriving to Karakura, he headed off to the Shoten to check up on the two Espadas and pick up his gigai. The pair had just returned from their noon time class at Karakura University and waited with him in the small receiving room. While Grimmjow dozed off against the wall, the former Cuatro Espada made an uncharacteristic attempt at engaging Hitsugaya in conversation. By the time Urahara had come back with the gigai, Ulquiorra and Toshiro were in a light hearted discussion about human customs._

_With a thanks and an assurance to stop by before he returned to Soul Society, the white haired male took his leave. He took his time walking four blocks up to the Kurosaki household, allowing himself to relax his nerves for the stunt he was about to pull. When he reached the well-known house, he debated whether he should go through the front door or through Ichigo's window as he and many others had done time and time again. Considering the circumstances, he figured it would be best to knock on the front door and be admitted properly. __Three knocks later he was face to face with a smiling girl with light brown hair. If he remembered correctly, her name was Yuzu, one of the Kurosaki sisters. The young girl happily invited him in, recognizing him as her brother and sister's friend. When she led him up to Ichigo's room and called out to her brother to open the door, Toshiro was greatly amused by the dumbfounded look on the teen's face when he saw the captain outside his room._

_After Yuzu left the two of them, a giddy smile on her lips, Kurosaki moved aside to allow the shorter male entrance. Instead of taking him up on the offer, he reached into his back pocket and brought out a bookmark with a pressed flower acting as the main decoration. It was a single white violet against a lilac paper with a white ribbon attached at the top to act as a page marker. Toshiro quietly held out his hand, offering the small trinket to the orange haired youth who accepted it tentatively. Without another word the Shinigami turned around, walked back the way he came and showed himself to the door, making sure to thank Yuzu on his way out._

_He then made his way to Orihime's apartment to confirm his use of her spare bedroom for the night and to change out of his trademark black polo and grey pants. Three hours later, he was standing outside a Chinese restaurant wearing a thin black jacket over forest-green dress shirt, black slacks, and black leather shoes, waiting for Ichigo to show up._

"_I can't believe I'm doing this."_

_Toshiro exhaled slowly as he brushed off invisible dust from his pants, a sad attempt at calming his nerves. His eyes trailed up and down the sidewalk, searching the crowds. It was getting cold, something he relished, but it didn't hold the usual comforting effect he was hoping for. The icy captain of the tenth division cursed his common sense, or lack thereof, for thinking this could possibly work._

_Underneath the bookmark he had given Kurosaki as a White Day present was a folded piece of paper with the restaurant's address and a certain time written on it. A simple invitation for dinner. Something must be wrong with him—maybe he contracted some sort of mind altering virus that made him act without inhibition? No such luck. He had passed all health protocol at his last check up two weeks prior. Still, this was entirely out of character for him. And then there was the problem of what he was hoping to get out of this pending encounter. Another date? A whole string of dates? A solid relationship? He shook the questions out of his head; it would be best if he took this one step at a time without frantically jumping around considering the fact that the 'date' hadn't even started yet. If anything good should result from tonight, then the two of them would work out what they wanted when the time came._

_Sighing under his breath he checked the time on his cell phone. Whether it was his desire to be on time or that he was still nervous, Hitsugaya had arrived to the meeting spot an hour ahead of schedule. Leaning back against the light pole he scanned the crowd again, waiting for the familiar mop of spiky orange hair. Catching himself, he shook his head at his repeated foolishness and pulled out his phone again._

"_I'm being such an idiot__," he muttered to himself as he checked his phone for any messages from Soul Society.__ "I wrote down eight o'clock and I keep looking up, expecting to see him pop out of nowhere."_

"_Expecting who?"_

_Eyes widening, Toshiro's head whipped to the side and found himself on the receiving end of one of Ichigo's rare smiles. He was wearing a black blazer, a simple white v-neck, grey jeans, and a pair of well-worn red converse. Subconsciously, he couldn't help thinking the college student cleaned up well…Really well. The two stared at each other until the captain knocked some sense back into his mind and shut his phone with a snap. Pushing off from the light pole, he walked over to stand in front of his admirer, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets and sifting through his thoughts for a proper greeting._

"_I'm not late, am I," Kurosaki asked worriedly, checking his wristwatch. "I got kind of lost getting here and I'm not too good at remembering-"_

"_You came."_

_Not as confident as he had wanted, but it would have to do. _

"_Well, when a certain white haired captain shows up at my doorstep, gives me a beautiful bookmark with an invitation to dinner written on a folded paper," Ichigo trailed off, pulling out said paper to wave it in the air. "I can't help but be curious." _

"_And I can assure you, you're not the only curious one."_

_Ichigo broke their eye contact to take in the surrounding area while inhaling deeply, a frown marring his lips._

"_I'm sorry for walking away so suddenly last time," he responded in a low voice, eyes returning to Hitsugaya's. "I didn't really think you'd respond to my confession so I left as soon as I could."_

"_I understand. What I don't understand, however, is your feelings," the shorter male admitted, "or the basis for them, either."_

_An easy smile spread across his face just then, causing Toshiro to partially forget what he had just said._

"_I guess that's to be expected," Kurosaki conceded with a shrug. _"_So…what now?"_

"_It's up to you Kurosaki," Toshiro murmured softly, forcing his feet to stay still. "We still have…another half hour before our reservation comes up…"_

"_You made a reservation," the student asked, obviously surprised._

"_Is that so strange?"_

"_Uh, not really, it's just-You thought this out pretty well, huh?"_

_Eyeing the teen, Hitsugaya nodded._

"_I am not the type to jump into a situation without thinking it through."_

"_I figured as much."_

"…"

"_Um, would you like to sit down with me," Ichigo asked, gesturing to a nearby bench, trying to avoid an awkward silence._

_The two quietly took a seat on the restaurant's wooden waiting bench, not too far to be thought of as strangers, but not close enough to be considered anything more than friendly acquaintances. Five minutes passed in companionable silence as the two Shinigami watched people walk by._

"_Why a white rose?"_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Why did you present me with a white rose on Valentine's Day," Toshiro asked with his head turned away in hopes of hiding his blush. "Don't most humans exchange red or pinkish roses on that day?"_

_The student nodded, watching various White Day couples pass by with interlinked hands._

"_I suppose red and pink would be the norm for that day but," he paused, searching for the right words. "…A white rose seemed fitting. It represents innocence, purity, and remembrance…And to me, all of that fit you perfectly."_

_Glancing at the boy seated next to him, Ichigo found a pair of blue-green eyes looking back at him with a blush covering his pale cheeks. Seeing this, the teen couldn't help but blush at how cute the captain looked. Both of them turned their heads away at the same time in an attempt to dispel their reddened faces. Running a hand through his already messy hair, Ichigo leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees._

"_…Why a white violet," he asked quietly, observing Hitsugaya from the corner of his eye. _"_I've never seen anything like it before. Does it have a meaning?"_

_Toshiro stiffened a bit. Feeling the body next to him tense up, Ichigo tilted his head, brown eyes boring into teal. They both acknowledged the intensity they felt when their eyes connected for what seemed like the hundredth time in that day alone. Slowly, everything around them melted away and all the noises became dull and unintelligible. At some point Hitsugaya swore he could hear both their heartbeats from the silence that had fallen over the two. The captain__ found himself amazed with Ichigo's eyes; they weren't just brown, but a warm chocolate brown with flecks of hazel around the iris._

"_White violets are rare. __As is any relationship between a mortal and a Shinigami…"_

_His head was becoming fuzzy with how Ichigo's breaths were mingling with his own._

"_They signify…taking chances."_

_A loud ringing noise was coming from Toshiro's cell phone, alerting him of a message. __Both Shinigami jumped away from each other, hearts beating rapidly and faces flushed at what almost happened. Snatching his phone, he mentally cursed it and himself. Flipping it open, he saw the text was from Matsumoto._

'_**Captain!**_

_**Please don't forget to bring me back a present! And tell Kurosaki-kun, Orihime-chan, and Rukia-san that I said, "Hello!"**_

_**Thank you!**_

_**~Matsumoto (^.^)**__'_

"_Matsumoto..."_

_Hearing the growl, Ichigo turned back to see what was wrong. He had to admit, though, the image of Toshiro glaring at his phone with a barely perceptible pout almost got him blushing again._

"_Bad news?"_

"_For my lieutenant, yes. Some very, __**very**__, bad news…"_

_Eyebrows raised in amusement, Ichigo shook his head as he eyed the death grip the shorter male had on the electronic._

"_I'm not sure who I should pity more: Matsumoto, that phone, or the replacement phone you're getting once that thing gives way."_

_Toshiro rolled his eyes and shoved his cell back into his jacket pocket._

"_Ha. Ha. Ha. You're a comedic genius, Kurosaki, but don't drop out of school on my account," Hitsugaya retorted, his bark losing some of its bite._

"_I don't know about 'comedic genius,'" he commented lightly. "But it's better than being called a 'hot-headed pain in the ass.'"_

"_I thought it was a term of endearment," Toshiro quipped, a smile appearing on his lips._

_Both feeling at ease with the other, their friendly banter continued for some time and as the night went on, they drifted closer to each other. When Kurosaki wrapped his arm around the back of the bench and Toshiro's shoulders in a friendly manner, the action was met with a curious glance. For some reason, it felt right. Any nervousness that had wracked the Shinigami's stomach was forgotten the moment he saw Ichigo smiling at him again. Doubts about what was to come were stored away for another time, both of them simply content in the other's presence. __They weren't normal and they both acknowledged that fact. They were male, one was alive while the other had passed on centuries ago, and their personalities were comparable to night and day. It was fitting that they had forgotten about the dinner reservation Toshiro had made._

_Love at fist sight was overrated at best, and easily overlooked by those who knew better._

* * *

**Sneak Peek for the next chapter:**

_"I shouldn't be here. I need to get back to-"_

_"Then why did you come?"_

_"I don't know."_


	12. He knows when not to let go

**Another update, another two chapters. Upon request from one of my reviewers (you know who you are), there's a special chapter coming up. It will be the second to last chapter for this story and I hope all of you will enjoy it.**

**Carry on.**

* * *

It had been a long day for the college student. As he was changing into his street shoes, his coworker asked if he could cover the evening shift for one of the other employees. At first he was going to decline after having worked a five hour shift, but not wanting to return to his empty apartment wide awake, he accepted. The next three hours were spent balancing trays and trying not to kill the head chef as he travelled between the kitchens and the hotel restaurant at dizzying speeds. Needless to say, Ichigo was thoroughly exhausted by the time he left the hotel and allowed himself to indulge in the simple luxury of being driven home by taxi. After a quick shower he changed into a pair of boxers and some draw string sleeping pants. The bedroom was cold but he was too lazy to turn on the heater from the living room, so to keep the chills at bay, Ichigo emptied his closet of three comforters, two bed sheets, and four fleece blankets. With droopy eyes and a body that felt like lead he dropped onto his mattress buried himself. The sensation of being completely cocooned both soothed and frightened the young Shinigami. While the heat was greatly appreciated, if he started thinking about it too much he would start feeling claustrophobic and possibly have a panic attack. Inhaling and exhaling softly, Kurosaki kept his body completely still as he listened to the Christmas tunes playing on his alarm clock radio.

'_I'm dreaming of a white Christmas…Just like the ones I used to know…'_

'Maybe I should change my major to Sleep Studies,' he thought idly, humming along with the song.

'_Where the treetops glisten, and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow…'_

"I wonder," he mumbled into his pillow, "where he is now…"

"Closer than you think."

Eyes snapping open and all fatigue forgotten, the orange haired youth practically leaped from his bed. However, because of his desire to stay warm, the blankets tangled themselves around his body, causing him to spasm at the uncomfortable feeling of being constricted. A sense of déjà vu washed over him as he fell to the floor followed by two identical yelps of surprise...Or pain.

* * *

"…"

"Something wrong, Ulquiorra," Grimmjow asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"It is nothing; just a small spike in spiritual pressure."

"Mmm…Think he's gonna get his ass handed to him?"

"Possibly."

The teal haired man rolled his eyes before grabbing the pale Espada's waist, pulling him against his chest.

"Smart ass."

"Strange; I was under the impression you were fond of my ass."

"…Shut up and go back to sleep."

"Yes, Dear."

* * *

Groaning in discomfort he rolled to his side and pushed off the blankets. Spotting a rustle beneath some of the comforters, Ichigo immediately remembered the source of his alarm and started digging. As he pulled back the last sheet, the man's breath caught and his heart almost stopped. Even disheveled, one Hitsugaya Toshiro still managed to rob him of air and all common sense.

When blue-green eyes flickered to his own eyes, Kurosaki was shaken from his stupor. Scrambling away from the captain, the substitute waited anxiously, unsure of what would happen. Unaware of the growing tension, the white haired male picked himself up and took his time as he kicked off the bed sheets at his feet. Running a hand through his hair, he chanced a look at Ichigo before turning to glare at his lap. At the rate they were going, not even an elephant would want to be in the same room as them.

They were the epitome of awkwardness.

"Tosh-Um," he paused, not sure if he was even allowed to be on a first name basis. "What are you doing here."

"…"

"Toshiro," Ichigo called out, concernedly. "Is something wrong?"

"…I don't even know," Hitsugaya muttered, eyes narrowed in irritation.

_Staring at the wall ahead of him, his body was rooted to its spot on the office floor. Sunset had come and gone with the sound of the Evening Song, leaving the room covered in darkness save for the small glow emitted by the flickering candle._

_One by one, tears fell from his eyes, threatening to put out the flame._

"Then…Can you tell me why you're here," he tried again, hoping he didn't sound pushy.

All of a sudden, Toshiro was standing above him, hands balled into fists and his mouth in a tight frown.

"I'm sorry, this was a mistake," his voice cracking as his eyes danced about uncertainly. "I'm leaving. Goodbye."

But before the boy could flash step out of his apartment, Ichigo's hand shot out on its own accord, latching onto the captain's arm. The two were stunned at the sudden action but soon Toshiro was struggling against the hold.

"Get off Kurosaki," he growled, cursing himself for being so weak. "Let me go."

"Never," the orange haired student breathed out, eyes hidden as he lowered his head. "I did once and I've regretted it ever since…"

Toshiro felt his chest constrict at his words, making him become more panicked in his movements. In a last ditch attempt at escaping, he let his reiatsu flare for a split second, hoping the sudden drop in temperature would cause the substitute to stagger. Part of him knew it wouldn't work but that didn't stop the surprised gasp from passing his lips when he was pulled down. Within seconds of landing between Kurosaki's legs, arms wrapped themselves around Hitsugaya's paralyzed body. Holding the older Shinigami in place, Ichigo buried his face in the crook of his neck as he pleaded with the captain to calm down.

"I shouldn't be here. I need to get back to-"

"Then why did you come?"

"I don't know."

_"I am not the type to jump into a situation without thinking it through."_

"Bullshit," Ichigo muttered heatedly. "You never do something without planning it out."

"Stop this, Kurosaki. This won't-"

"_Please_ Toshiro…don't leave again."

"I-I…Don't do this Kurosaki-I'm only getting more confused," Hitsugaya mumbled, clearly distraught. "The way you're holding me-_talking_ to me-It's too much."

"These past four months have been too much," he half shouted, his heart aching with every breath he took.

"Day in and day out has been hell since you left. I've pissed off my friends-I keep avoiding my family and my Shinigami responsibilities. I come home every night, half-way dead because I don't want to fall asleep thinking about what I did…I probably deserve worse than all that, but the only thing I can come up with is losing any chance of being with you again…"

The student raised his head to whisper into the other's ear.

"And it kills me to think about it…"

A shiver ran down Toshiro's back; something he hadn't felt in what seemed like years.

"Why are you telling me this," he forced himself to ask, his body shaking uncontrollably. "Why now? What good could come from it?"

"Because you deserve to know everything. I was too much of an idiot before and because of it I lost you. I won't let it happen again. Not without telling you the whole story…Please Toshiro," he whispered, pulling back far enough to look into the captain's eyes. "Let me explain…"

Toshiro's head fell, unable to stand the intensity in the substitute's eyes. He hadn't experienced such helplessness since the day he was deceived into skewering his sister and it didn't help that his mind was all over the place. Should he allow the other male to speak? What if the truth only made the situation worse? Would talking it out really solve all their problems? Minutes ticked by at an achingly slow pace until he gave a reluctant nod. A worn smile found its way to Ichigo's lips before dissolving as he pulled away completely. Rising to his feet, he pulled the captain with him and made a gesture to follow him into the living room where they each took a seat at opposite ends of the couch. Scratching the back of his neck out of habit, Kurosaki figured he might as well take the plunge right then and there.

"…Where do you want me to start," he asked gently.

The message was clear; he was giving the Shinigami complete control of the situation.

"…When you first met her."

"As good a place as any, I suppose," he commented lightly. "I met Naomi at the beginning of my senior year in high school. She twisted her ankle just outside our clinic around the same time I got home so I brought her inside and had my dad take a look. He gave her some painkillers and left me to bandage her up…We didn't talk much and all I found out about her was that she went to an all-girls school near the middle of the city.

"A couple of months later, I ran into her after taking my college entrance exam; it turned out she had just taken the same test. We got to talking and I don't know what came over me but I asked her out on a date," he chuckled to himself, remembering the matching expressions on their faces. "She was stunned and I couldn't blame her, but she accepted anyway. We started out awkwardly but it became easier to talk, and after a while we went on more dates and did all those couple things. You wouldn't believe how happy we were when we got accepted to the same university and it felt like I was falling for her…But something changed after we started college."

Toshiro watched the young man from his end of the couch, knees drawn to his chest and chin resting on his arms. This story was becoming… interesting.

"…What happened," he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Ichigo started, amazed that the boy sounded genuinely curious. He frowned slightly; what was coming next was not the fondest of memories.

"It was between semesters…Our classes kept us busy and my patrols took up most of my free time so we started drifting apart. By the time finals were over, we kept falling into a bitter silence whenever we got around to hanging out. Even when we talked on the phone we had a difficult time keeping ourselves from arguing over some of the dumbest shit…Naomi suggested taking a break and I agreed because I wanted to make our relationship work."

Kurosaki paused for a moment, eyes clouding over with nostalgia.

"But then there was a visit from Soul Society…"

_

* * *

**Sneak Peek:**_

"_Remember Kurosaki-kun! Sexual intercourse without conscious consent is punishable by one to two years in prison and a hefty fine!"_

"_Shut the hell up you damn pervert!"_


	13. He doesn't want to see you hurting

Please enjoy.

* * *

**"But then there was a visit from Soul Society…"**

**

* * *

**

_Although Karakura was relatively safe after the War, three Arrancars had managed to escape and were 'haunting' the city from the shadows. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra had picked up their presence while walking through a busy shopping district and informed their deranged landlord the second they got back to the Shoten. Toshiro and his lieutenant were sent out within the hour. It wasn't long before the three Arrancar showed up, launching a full blown brawl between them and the Shinigami._

_Kurosaki and Yammy were fighting one on one when a second Arrancar materialized behind the orange haired man. The burly Cero Espada wasted no time in disarming Ichigo and knocking the wind from him with a jab to his stomach, further distracting him. At the time, Hitsugaya was knee deep in his own fight with a third Arrancar some miles away and had caught sight of the second one readying a cero. In the blink of an eye, the captain used what energy he had left to cut down his opponent and hastily flew to Kurosaki's aid. In his panic to get to the teen, Toshiro's ice wings were unable to fully shield his own body from the cero beam at point blank range._

_Ichigo froze, not expecting the Shinigami to throw himself in front of him in such a careless way. Going into shock he saw the cero collide with Toshiro's left side and watched helplessly as he crashed back down to earth. Hearing Yammy's boisterous laughter slapped him from his trance and sparked something inside of him, a fury he hadn't experienced since the war. With a menacing roar, he felt some of his hollow powers seep out as he turned on the Espada and delivered a punch so devastating, the contact shattered his hand as well as the skull beneath it. Matsumoto and Rukia stepped in after taking care of the second Arrancar and were able to bind the three of them with Kido. Knowing the two women had the situation under control, Ichigo rushed to the fallen captain, who had landed in the river, and took off to Urahara's store._

_Orihime arrived soon after, worried for her injured friends. She was about to heal Ichigo's chest wounds and broken hand when he pushed her towards Toshiro. The girl looked between the two before understanding what her companion wanted. Calling to her Shun Shun Rika, she set herself to work on the unconscious captain. Hours passed as each of the Shinigami underwent intense healing sessions, with Kurosaki refusing treatment until he was absolutely sure everyone else was seen to. By the time he finally allowed Inoue to mend his damaged body, Toshiro was cleaned up and moved to another room to recuperate, his lieutenant by his side._

"_I'll come back to check on him as soon as I've cleared up the red tape," Matsumoto promised as she ran a hand through her captain's damp hair. "Thank you for allowing him to stay here, Urahara-san."_

"_Ma mah! It's nothing," he exclaimed as he fanned himself. "And besides, we wouldn't want Captain Unohana unleashing her wrath upon little old me if she found out I had done otherwise. You know how she gets about her patients and the like!"_

_The buxom woman nodded silently before rising to her feet. With a half hearted wave and an equally enthusiastic smile, she departed for Soul Society with her captured quarry. Urahara grinned conspiratorially behind his fan after she left, counting down from five. When he reached one, he put on a look of surprise when the door slid open to reveal Ichigo. The teen glared at the man before coming in and taking a seat by Toshiro's head._

"_I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun! You just missed Matsumoto-san," he cooed teasingly. "Your love confession will have to wait a while!"_

"_Shut up, you crazy old man," Ichigo muttered with a roll of his eyes. "I wanted to see how Toshiro was doing."_

_The blonde haired man hummed lowly, shutting his fan closed with a harsh snap._

"_Hmmm…Well, Inoue-san's healing abilities are still top notch, but I'm afraid she hasn't mastered cerebral healing just yet," Kisuke murmured. "But because she was able to patch up that hole in his side, his body can now focus on healing his concussion."_

"…_When will he wake up," the teen asked evenly, flexing his newly reformed hand._

"_That's up to him," Urahara answered, standing up as he did so. "I have some work to do out in the store front; were you planning on staying or-"_

"_Yeah, I'm gonna hang around for a while."_

"_You know, he _is_ stable. There's no need for him to be watched over."_

_Ichigo continued to gaze at the white haired male, an unreadable emotion filling his eyes to the brim._

"_I know…"_

_A mysterious smile etched itself onto Kisuke's mouth as he threw a hearty wave to the 'couple'. _

"_Remember Kurosaki-kun! Sexual intercourse without conscious consent is punishable by one to two years in prison and a hefty fine!"_

_The student's head whipped up to glare at the shop owner, glaring furiously at the ludicrous insinuation._

"_Shut the hell up you damn pervert!"_

_Ichigo palmed his face, forcing himself to calm down as the door was slammed shut and laughter rang from down the hall. Sorely tempted to leave the room and rip the ex-captain a new one, he averted his eyes to the sleeping Shinigami in front of him. Hitsugaya's facial features were blank, but relaxed, with a steadily rising chest. Urahara was right, Orihime had done a great job in healing the boy's side wound and any other superficial injuries. The only thing that gave away any hint of the captain being in a battle was his blood stained haori that lay folded next to his head._

"_I'm normally the one waist deep in a coma after a fight like that, Toshiro," Ichigo muttered, ignoring how crazy he seemed talking to an unconscious person. "Still don't get why you took the hit. If you ask me it was a pretty dumb move…" _

_The boy's hair had been so red and the way the blood had seeped into their uniforms made Kurosaki's stomach lurch forward at the vivid memory. But the one thing that had caused a shudder to run down the orange haired teen's body as he shunpo'd the fallen Shinigami away from the battlefield was how those once bright teal eyes had turned into a murky grey as they stared into the open sky._

"_Maybe this is why Naomi and I aren't doing so well; she says I'm reckless and that I don't think ahead about anything…She's always criticizing me but is that really fair," he asked the sleeping boy in earnest. "I mean, the point of being in a relationship with someone you care about is because you enjoy being with them and you can see past their imperfections…Right?"_

"…"

_Letting out a sigh, Ichigo leaned back on his hands to stare at the ceiling for a while. The only sounds that could be heard were intakes and exhales of breath with the occasional footsteps on the other side of the door. Kurosaki was supposed to be resting after having racked up a good number of injuries as well, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. He just needed some time to clear his head before he went home. Cocking his head to the side, he watched pale lips part and close with each breath._

"_Naomi's got a good head on her shoulders…You might like her, although I don't think she could ever come close to you in the brain's department. Hell, I'm not sure I know anyone who could match you in that respect," he murmured as he moved to lay down, his body's exhaustion finally catching up to him. "She's pretty…very pretty…But I don't think I've ever told her she was beautiful…I've called her cute before but-Well, that explains why she thinks I'm insensitive."_

_Laughing at himself, he lazily took note of how he was laid out. Feet pointed in the opposite direction of the captain's, both their heads resting next to the other's shoulder. He let his eyes rake over Toshiro's snow white hair, small pointed nose, the gentle curve of his lips, and the sloping arc of his jaw line. It amazed him how much younger the captain appeared to be without his eyebrows drawn together in irritation or concentration._

"_I don't think I'll ever call you 'Captain Hitsugaya'…I may suck at names and addressing people in a traditional sense, but I never could bring myself to call you by your title…Nah, if anything, I don't even think you _like _it. I've noticed the way your brow twitches whenever one of your subordinates' calls out to you…You always seem burdened by your job, and even though you look proud about it...You look trapped."_

_Sighing softly, Ichigo rolled onto his stomach and rested his chin on top of his crossed arms. Tilting his head to the side, he observed Toshiro stir in his sleep before settling once more._

"_I used to ask Naomi to read to me before we graduated…Listening to her helped me get to sleep when I started having nightmares about the war…I never told her why I liked being read to over the phone. About two months into University she started telling me that she didn't have time to read me bedtime stories…I've tried asking her every now and then, but she normally comes up with an excuse to avoid it._

"_Your voices are almost exact opposites …Hers is light and airy; warm when she's happy and monotone when she's upset or just doesn't care. Yours is clipped and commanding; the way you say things grabs my attention and leads me to think that it's a matter of fact. I've heard you raise your voice a baker's dozen and then some, but I don't think Naomi ever shouted in her life. She's very…She's like an extremely shy Orihime, if you could believe that…But you-Your voice suits you well. If it were any different I would think you were an imposter."_

_Closing his eyes, Kurosaki rolled onto his back again leaving his arms stretched out above his head. Feeling the rise and fall of his chest and listening to Hitsugaya's matching breathing rhythm helped his mind become more at rest._

"_Sometimes I wish I hadn't been born with this uncanny ability to see spirits," he whispered, more to himself than to his temporary roommate. "Maybe then I wouldn't be so messed up…Mom would be alive to take care of us…Dad wouldn't be half as annoying as he is right now…Keeping up in school wouldn't have been as hard as it was with me juggling saving the world and homework…And maybe-maybe me and Naomi would be happier…"_

_He would have punched himself just then if he had the strength._

"_Ha, I'm such a selfish bastard…Truth is, Toshiro, I always think about that kind of stuff when my life begin to feel out of whack but…whenever I think back to that night I shoved Rukia's sword into my heart," he trailed off for a second, recalling the sensation of dying and being reborn at the same time. "I know I made the right decision…And I'm grateful for all the people I've met. Hell, I'm even glad to have met fuckin' Kenpachi and maybe even Mayuri…Or not…"_

_Shaking the image of the two captains from his mind, he tried his best to sort out his thoughts before he knocked out._

"…_If things don't work out with Naomi, I don't think I'll be too crushed. I know I sound like a jerk, but we're just too different…If she knew half the stuff I've seen or done she'd have written me off as some escaped psych-ward patient…It was great while it lasted but I think there's something more for me out there-someone I'm meant for, you know," Ichigo asked for confirmation, opening his eyes one last time to get a look at the comatose male, a weary smile on his lips. "Who knows, it wouldn't be too hard for me to fall for someone…"_

_Sleep grabbed at the corners of his mind, slowly reeling him into its nurturing arms._

"_Like you…"_

_Twelve hours later he woke up to find himself covered by a warm blanket, the captain and his blood-stained haori missing from their resting places. Undaunted by the Shinigami's actions, Ichigo fell back into his dreamless sleep once more._

**_

* * *

Sneak Peek:_**

_"Four months," he breathed out. "Four long months you made me think you cheated on me."_

_"…I missed you, too."_


	14. He knows you're too good for him

I apologize profusely for the long delay in updates. I've been adjusting to my new college life and so far it's been going as smooth as I can hope (financial aid aside...). Anyways, this is the third to last chapter. As soon as I've finished posting this, I'll be doing some touch ups to the next chapter and posting it as well. Please take these two back to back updates as my gift of apology.

* * *

"Toshiro? You okay," Ichigo asked cautiously, wondering why the Shinigami was so quiet.

With a jerky nod, Hitsugaya turned to the open window to gaze at the night sky, a frown on his lips. If it weren't for the memory of waking up to a mop of orange hair and the teen's peaceful expression, he wouldn't have believed what he was just told. When he had woken up, he stayed long enough to run tests for any remaining trauma at Urahara's askance; after being given the green light he hastily donned his captain's haori to rejoin his division. Not three months later, the Zangetsu wielding fool confessed to the icy captain.

Anxiety automatically filled the air between the two, causing their eyes to stray to one another's when it reached its peak. As they watched each other, a sudden heaviness entered their hearts and neither of them knew how to continue. Toshiro broke their connection, opting to look at his tabi-covered feet. In that one moment, his demeanor managed to reflect his physical appearance. Before the orange haired youth could ask what was wrong, the Shinigami spoke.

"Was it…difficult coming to terms with your sexuality," Hitsugaya asked in a soft voice.

Not expecting the question, a thoughtful expression flickered across Kurosaki's face before he nodded.

"At first, it was. It's not every day I find myself becoming attracted to a guy, let alone a Shinigami ten times older than myself," he said honestly. "But in the end, after thinking about all that I've been through, I figured that life's too short to worry about things like that..."

Ichigo stared at the captain, one eyebrow raised in a quizzical manner.

"You never asked me that before. Why now?"

A pregnant pause followed the question as Toshiro's hunched form became even tenser.

"…In Soul Society, we have the same mentality, only slightly different. Our…'afterlives' are lengthened by the time and spatial fields surrounding our world. Because of this, our lives become monotone and repetitive unless we die or…fall in love," he murmured, refusing to look Ichigo in the eye. "Matsumoto explained this to me a while ago…I did not understand her then, but it's beginning to make sense…"

"Toshiro…"

"Why didn't you break up with her, Ichigo," he asked, the question spilling from his lips poignantly. "Why did you confess to me when you were still _hers_?"

Ichigo turned away from the accusing stare.

'_I've kept this from him for too long…'_

"The day I confessed to you, I made one stop before the florists," he confessed, lowering his eyes to his lap. "I went to her apartment to talk…"

* * *

_"Ichigo?"_

_"Naomi…Hey."_

_The girl smiled brightly at the sound of his voice and stepped aside to let him in. Ichigo nodded politely and walked in, pausing slightly when he caught sight of a picture frame holding a photograph of the couple at their university's entrance ceremony. Back then she kept her black hair in a long braid with her bangs constantly falling into her green eyes. He would tease her about it, saying she looked like a sheep dog, prompting her to call him an insensitive ass and stomp away. But every time he did this she always forgave him when he brushed her bangs aside and kissed her forehead. Looking away, he kept walking towards the living room where he waited for Naomi before taking a seat on the couch. When she inched closer to him he tried not to flinch or make any indication that the movement was making him uncomfortable. Ignoring the slight grimace on his face, Naomi leaned in to Kurosaki's side with ease, sighing when she felt his warm body next to hers._

_"It's been a while since we last saw each other," she murmured shyly, intertwining their fingers out of habit._

_"Yeah," he mumbled noncommittally. "Almost four months…"_

_Unable to disregard his tone of voice, a pair of green eyes glanced up at the teen's blank face. In the time they had been dating, she had seen all sorts of expressions, ranging from wildly comical to frighteningly angry. She had seen it only one other time before now: the day she suggested they go on break. A small frown marred her lips as she wrapped her arms around his waist unexpectedly. Caught by surprise, Ichigo looked down at the top of her head, hearing her mumble something into his jacket._

_"I'm sorry, can you repeat that," he asked quietly. "I can't make out what you're trying to say."_

_Pulling back a bit, Naomi raised her head, revealing a teary-eyed smiled. Her bangs had fallen into her eyes again, but Ichigo made no move to comb them aside like she thought he would. The smile on her lips faltered for a brief second and she couldn't shake off this strange feeling._

_"…I've missed you…"_

_Ichigo stared at her silently until his gaze fell to his lap. Reaching up, he gently pulled himself out of her embrace and laid them against her sides. Seeing the hurt expression on her face almost made him rethink his decision. As he looked into her emerald green eyes, a stray thought came to him._

'They're beautiful…but not as strikingly beautiful as…'

_His resolve strengthened, he ran a hand through his messy orange hair before proceeding._

_"Naomi…we gotta talk…"_

_

* * *

_

"Because it was Valentine's Day, she thought I was going to ask if we could be together again," Ichigo said quietly. "She kept telling me how much she missed me and that she couldn't stand being anywhere but by my side…I kept trying to tell her that I was ending it, but she wouldn't listen. I got fed up and left…"

Kurosaki's eyes had a faraway look in them as he thought back to that time while the captain's gaze fell to the floor, his own eyes clouding over with mixed emotions.

"She still calls me asking to 'hang out', but I try to keep it limited to coffee dates or study sessions…I didn't want to be a complete bastard and ignore our past," he muttered shifting a bit underneath the other's incomprehensible stare. "As far as I'm concerned, we haven't been together since the day we went on that break. She…just hasn't accepted it yet…"

Silence enveloped the two for a long period of time until a chuckle ripped through the quiet room, causing the orange haired substitute to snap his head to the source of the noise. Eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment, he watched as Toshiro's chuckle turned into laughter and slowly became mixed with barely hushed sobbing. Large tears rolled down the planes of his face, unchecked as the captain rubbed them away with the back of his hands. Reaching out, Kurosaki carefully pulled the despondent male to him, taking the still form into his arms. This time, however, Hitsugaya didn't resist, but returned the action by wrapping his hands around the young man's biceps, fingers curling over the taut muscle. The taller of the two gently stroked the captain's hair, letting the other cry onto his shoulder. With each tear that fell onto Ichigo's bare skin he felt something tug at his heart strings, making him pull the boy closer.

"Toshiro, you know I hate seeing you cry…"

"Four months," he breathed out. "Four _long_ months you made me think you cheated on me."

"…I missed you, too."

Pulling away from Kurosaki, Toshiro allowed the other to wipe away the last of his tears. Brown met turquoise for the nth time that evening, the two of them falling into a comfortable silence despite the situation they were walking away from. Reaching up, Ichigo traced the side of the Shinigami's face with his fingers until they came to the base of his neck.

"Why didn't you explain yourself that night…?"

"…Sometimes dating a genius, "Kurosaki started, averting his eyes for a moment, "can be a bit…difficult when they run off on tangents and draw their own conclusions."

* * *

_"Mahoomoto! Het go of me!" Toshiro shouted against her bosom, trying to wriggle free. He was starting to lose consciousness from the lack of oxygen. "He did not break up with me!"_

_The tall woman pulled away and pouted. "Well can you blame me for jumping to conclusions when you just sit there staring at me?"_

_"You shouldn't jump to conclusions," Hitsugaya muttered angrily. "Regardless of the circumstances, do not assume."_

_

* * *

_

"Are you implying that this entire ordeal is _my _fault?"

"…If I say no will you promise not to hit me?"

"No."

Expecting some form of physical retribution, the college student shut his eyes tightly, only to feel lips against his. Tension instantly melted from his shoulders as he pushed back against the soft pressure. Running his large hands through Toshiro's smooth hair, Ichigo sighed in content, his mind finally at peace. After sharing a few more gentle kisses they pulled back, foreheads touching and noses brushing lightly.

"I'm sorry I put you through this Toshiro…But I honestly didn't think you'd react the way you did. I knew you would get _mad_, but not to that extent."

"You're not the one at fault here, I know that now."

The young man leaned back against the couch cushions, taking the apologetic Shinigami with him. Eyebrows drawn, Kurosaki absently ran his fingers through Toshiro's hair.

"Is this it," he asked hesitantly, looking down at the white hair beneath his hand. "We forgive each other and everything is all right? Are you really okay with that?"

After a few minutes of reflection, the captain nodded his head, unconsciously leaning into Ichigo's gentle touch.

"I do not hold a grudge once the issue has been resolved," Toshiro answered simply. "Unless you _want_ to be hated by me and the subject of my unforgiving retribution for the next thousand or so years…?"

Paling at the casually spoken threat, Ichigo wisely shook his head. Smirking at his boyfriend's obvious panic, Hitsugaya leaned up to place a chaste kiss on his jaw before relaxing into the warm embrace once more. They stayed like this for a few minutes when a distant memory popped into Toshiro's head.

"…Ichigo?"

"Ah…"

"…That night, you said you didn't deserve to be with me," he murmured shyly, "to be happy…Why did you say that?"

Ichigo closed his eyes; he knew the question would come up sooner or later.

"…Because…I _don't_ deserve you."

"…What," Hitsugaya whispered, his eyes widening in confusion.

The young man turned away, unable to face the boy in his arms as he went on to explain.

"Every time I thought about _us_, I couldn't help thinking about how different we are," he admitted in a small voice. "You-You're so **_perfect_**. You're brilliant, beautiful inside _and_ out, you have this sense of justice that I admire and…I'm none of that."

A sore feeling entered Kurosaki's body as he looked into Toshiro's wide eyes, a sudden heaviness surrounding his heart.

"I'm nowhere _close_ to you when it comes to intelligence, I scare almost everyone I see when I walk down the street, and I'm on eggshells with half of Seireitei because of my hollow half," he stopped, taking in a deep breath to steady himself before continuing. "And…despite all my faults, you risked everything you have by entering a relationship with me. Every day I asked myself why you chose me over something you worked so hard for when…"

"Ichigo…?"

"I'm a monster, Toshiro," he whispered sorrowfully. "…And in every story I've ever read or heard about, monsters aren't allowed to be with angels…"

"You…really are a hopeless romantic Kurosaki…"

In twenty years, Ichigo had experienced pains that would cause even the most hardened of men to falter. But he never thought something could be as excruciatingly painful as a freezing fist to the stomach from an aggravated boyfriend. Kurosaki's eyesight blurred as he slumped forward, a wheezing cough wrenching itself from his chest.

"…If you so much as _think_ I give a damn about what the other divisions **or** the Captain Commander thinks about us, then you are **sorely** mistaken," Hitsugaya muttered into his boyfriend's ear, a definite edge to his voice. "Neither of us is perfect, but I accepted you for who and _what_ you are a long time ago. So you had better get it out of your mind that we shouldn't be together or else I am walking out that door and **never** coming back..."

* * *

_"I'm yours, and you're mine, that's all there is to it…"_

* * *

**Sneak Peek of the next chapter:**

**_"Your family and friends."_**

**_"After all I've done, me wanting to date a guy is the least crazy thing on the list."_**


	15. He remembers the important things

I've decided to put the epilogue up first. The **real **final chapter will be a bonus chapter suggested to me by one of my readers in their review. I was thinking of making it into its own oneshot that would accompany this story, but I decided to throw it in here anyway two be the fifteenth way/chapter (excluding the prologue).

Please enjoy.

* * *

**...Epilogue...**

**...He remembers the important things...**

* * *

Sunday mornings are considered recovery days by many people around the world. As such, it's only natural to desire a few extra hours of sleep when wrapped in comfortable blankets while sleeping on a sinfully soft pillow. Unfortunately, some people don't seem to fall prey to these desires as easily as others.

**~Clang~Dong~**

And readily ruin the experience with their offensive background noises and equally vulgar voices.

"Fuck!"

Toshiro instantly sprung up from his curled position. Heart racing, the young captain looked around in a daze, unsure of where he was. Glancing down at the comforter pooling around his waist and the pair of large pajama pants that seemed to be slipping lower (despite being tied as much as the drawstring allowed), Hitsugaya's face was dyed pink as he remembered where he was. They hadn't gone as far as most _healthy_ and **hormonally** crazed couples, but the memory of what they had done until the early morning hours was more than enough to make the usually stoic Shinigami want to smash his head into something out of embarrassment. Before he could bust his skull open against Kurosaki's nightstand, another set of crashes and a stream of curses floated in from down the hall. Climbing out of bed, Toshiro covered his bare chest with his arms as he shuffled out of the bedroom, taking care not to trip over the long pant legs. When he reached the end of the hall, he poked his head out from around the corner and took a peek at what was going on in the kitchen. Blue-green eyes narrowed when they caught sight of a certain orange haired idiot jumping between the fridge and something that appeared to be on fire on the stove.

"Damn it! Who the hell decided to put something as stupid as a Power Burner on a fucking stove," Ichigo muttered as he threw the food into the waste bin.

"The same people who expected seasoned cooks to be using their products," Hitsugaya answered with a smirk.

"Crap," Ichigo cried out, barely catching the frying pan before it hit his foot. "Don't do that, Toshiro! You know I still suck at sensing reiatsu!"

"And yet you still refuse to take me up on my offer to train you," he replied smoothly, taking a seat on one of the bar stools. "What are you doing, anyway? I've seen you cook breakfast before, but nine times out of ten your meals look…"

He eyed the remains of charred bacon, eggs, and possibly pancakes in the trash can.

"Edible."

Kurosaki let out a low groan as he took out two bowls and a pair of spoons from their resting places, setting them in front of the critical Shinigami.

"Yeah, well it looks like we'll have to make do with milk and cereal for our morning sustenance."

"Just as well," Toshiro relented, a smile working its way to his lips. "I'm sure even _you_ can't burn down the apartment building by fixing two bowls of Captain Crunch."

"You're a real charmer, you know that," the taller male mumbled, pouring a good amount of cereal and soy milk into their bowls. "This is the last time I try to do something romantic for you…"

"What did you say," the captain asked, head tilted to the side inquisitively.

Blush spreading across his cheeks, Ichigo quickly answered that it was nothing. Without another word, the two of them tucked in to their bowls, the sound of spoons clinking against ceramic and soft crunching filling the kitchen's quiet atmosphere. After several spoonfuls, Kurosaki lowered the utensil from his mouth to watch his boyfriend.

"…If you want to say something, say it; I don't like being stared at while I eat."

"…I'm sorry if I woke you."

Hitsugaya waved the apology away with his spoon.

"It's fine. I was supposed to wake up around this time anyway…"

Ichigo swirled the soggy cereal around in his bowl before downing what was left. Walking over to the sink he washed the tableware off and stuck them in the drying rack.

"Does…this mean you have to head back soon?"

Toshiro watched the young man turn his back to him and grip the counter.

"…Yes."

"Oh…I see…"

There was a slight drop in the other's shoulders. He could almost see the rain cloud hovering above the orange head.

"...Your pajamas don't fit me too well," he murmured, gesturing to his hips."I need to pick up some extra sleeping clothes."

Attitude taking an immediate one hundred-eighty degree turn, Ichigo looked to his boyfriend with a hopeful smile forming on his lips.

"Really?"

"Even the Captain Commander enjoys taking part in Christmas," the other admitted before drinking the last of his milk.

"So…How long?"

Cheeks slightly flushed, Toshiro's adopted a soft smile.

"I need a place to stay for the next week…"

With two quick steps, Ichigo reached out and grabbed the small captain from across the counter and pulled him into a deep kiss. Minutes later they separated, content and gasping for air.

"That…can be arranged," Kurosaki breathed out happily.

Drawing back, he finally noticed the stark nakedness of Toshiro's upper body. A number of lecherous thoughts ran through his mind as he soaked in the sight of lightly tanned skin and a lithe build.

"You're not wearing a shirt," he stated, shaking off his yearning with some difficulty. "Aren't you cold?"

"…Rethink you question."

"Yeah, yeah, I see where this is going," he muttered with a roll of his eyes. "Still, even Shinigami can catch colds. Wait here."

The substitute left the kitchen, heading back towards his bedroom. Sighing softly, Toshiro slid off the bar stool and brought his bowl to the sink. Copying Ichigo, he washed and rinsed off his bowl and spoon, stacking them into the drying rack.

"Hold your arms up for me," Ichigo ordered as he reentered the small kitchen.

"I can dress myself, Kurosaki," he countered, although he wasn't as annoyed as he sounded.

"I know, and as much as it pains me to cover you up, it'll be faster this way."

"Pervert," Toshiro grumbled as he raised his arms.

"But I'm yours."

"Unfortunately."

In one quick swoop, Hitsugaya found himself covered in a, surprisingly, well fitting, turtleneck sweater. The sleeves ended an inch or two past his wrist, the hem resting just below the top of his hipbones, and the raised neck sat comfortably around his throat. But what caught his attention most was the color because contrary to popular belief, the young captain's favorite color was _not_ blue.

"How did you know," he trailed off, running the palm of his hand over the soft fabric.

"…Last Christmas, when I came by to drop off Rukia and Renji's presents, I saw you walking back from the first division meeting hall. You had a red scarf wrapped around your neck and I noticed it was patched up around the edges."

The white haired Shinigami nodded in affirmation.

"My Grandmother gave it to me as a present when I first entered the Academy…I've had it ever since," he whispered, nostalgia entering his eyes.

"I thought it'd be nice to have a matching sweater…"

Toshiro looked up to see Ichigo's brown eyes regarding him with a sense of satisfaction and an emotion that he had not recognized until that very moment. Heart pounding in his ears, he drew in a shaky breath, overwhelmed by the feelings that erupted from his chest.

**_

* * *

Some of the greater things in life are unseen, which is why you close your eyes when you kiss…

* * *

_**

"For what?"

**_

* * *

Dream…

* * *

_**

"To keep you warm when I'm not there…"

**_

* * *

Or fall in love...

* * *

_**

"Happy birthday, Toshiro..."


	16. He falls for you in more ways than one

**Bonus chapter. I hope you all receive it well.**

* * *

There were some things in this world and the afterlife that were beyond understanding or comprehension. The inner workings of Kurosaki Ichigo were one such thing. Leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, Hitsugaya Toshiro eyed the substitute Shinigami warily.

"I'm not following your line of questioning."

Elbows on his knees and head slightly raised to meet the captain's gaze, Ichigo shrugged nonchalantly.

"We've been going out for a month now, right?"

"Yes, and your point is," Hitsugaya trailed off, not sure he completely understood their conversation.

"I dunno," Kurosaki mumbled offhandedly. "I guess I'm asking if you want to make it permanent."

A single eyebrow rose at this.

"That is…an interesting use of colloquialism, Kurosaki," he replied carefully. "However, I'm afraid I don't quite understand. What do you mean by 'make it permanent?'"

"What's not to understand," Ichigo asked, confused by the captain's perplexed expression. "I like you, and you like me. So why don't we like each other together?"

"Again, interesting colloquialism, but that doesn't answer my question, either."

The orange haired teen sighed loudly, scratching the back of his neck, more out of nervousness than habit. In his eyes and ears, everything he was saying made complete and utter sense. His friends were right; he was a failure when it came to subtlety. If anything, his loud, abrasive way of handling things was probably best suited for the current situation.

"All right, we've gone out on about four dates now."

Actually, only one of those four supposed meetings could be considered a 'date'. Two of the three were very much like today where Ichigo popped into Soul Society for a quick visit while the third instance lasted only half an hour wherein the pair occupied the same room after recovering from a massive hollow attack. Then again, the first one shouldn't have even been classified as a 'date' considering the fact that they never made it to the restaurant. The two of them had just conversed until the evening crowd had disappeared for the night, signaling that it was late and time to turn in.

"I've already made it clear that I like you."

Thankfully, the college student had done so in a delicate way. Anything beyond a simple exchange of words and a white rose might not have sit well with the captain. He was not one for the commercialized, overly done confessions where bystanders were buried alive in the amount of hearts that surrounded the 'lovey-dovey' couple.

"And I'm hoping that your invitation to dinner a while back," Ichigo murmured, a barely visible blush spreading across his cheeks, "coupled with the fact that you didn't completely freeze my arm off that time I tried to hold your hand…"

Hitsugaya almost reddened when he recalled the incident. On their most recent 'date', the two of them had decided to stretch their legs by taking a walk around the tenth division compound. The sun had already set and none of his subordinates were milling around the offices, so their leisurely stroll was confined to five main and three sub-hallways. Not wanting to disturb the comfortable atmosphere, the two walked in complete silence, content to be in each other's presence. For the first twenty minutes or so, their walk took them along the corridors as they listened to the cricket's miniature symphonies and the light ringing of wind chimes. At some point, they began walking closer to one another until Toshiro found his shoulder brushing against Ichigo's arm. While the captain was able to ignore the sparks that jumped through his skin from the contact, Kurosaki's arm acted out of natural instinct and connected their hands. Within two seconds of their appendage's touching, the shorter male panicked and leaked out some of his reiatsu, effectively separating them. Their 'date' ended with a trip to the fourth division and a hastily constructed excuse for why half of Ichigo's arm was encased in ice.

"Means you like me, too...?"

At the teen's inquiring stare Toshiro nodded slightly, quietly confirming his assumption. With the corners of his mouth twitching upwards, Ichigo looked down at his feet, biting down on his bottom lip thoughtfully before turning back to Hitsugaya.

"This sounded so much easier in my head," Kurosaki mumbled, laughing at his inability to speak properly.

"In my short experience with you," Toshiro muttered sardonically, "nothing in that head of yours is as simple as it-"

"Be mine."

Teal eyes blankly stared at the teen who now wore an idiotic look on his face. Maybe he had heard wrong? No, he had impeccable hearing. Perhaps he had listened to Rangiku's love rants one too many times? Possibly. In the blink of an eye, Ichigo was sitting on the edge of his desk.

"…Pardon?"

"Wanna be my boyfriend?"

"Your…boyfriend?"

"Plain and simple. Black and white. Yes or no."

The captain tilted his head in confusion, unease settling into his stomach. He had no idea how to handle this new situation. It also didn't help that there was absolutely no rationale for what the college student was asking for. Not knowing what to do, he immediately started shooting off every possible excuse he could think of to evade their unusual heart-to-heart.

"We haven't known each other that long."

"Three years isn't long enough for you?"

"I don't know anything about you."

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Age eighteen, blood type A, Cancer, occupation: university student and Substitute Shinigami."

"I have a division to run."

"I have university."

"You're serious about this."

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be asking."

He was grasping at straws here.

"Your family and friends."

Extremely short and frayed straws.

"After all I've done, me wanting to date a guy is the least crazy thing on the list."

"It would make me a pedophile."

Ichigo chuckled lightly, enjoying each reason the young Shinigami threw at him. The age thing was a nice curveball, but easily overlooked and ignored. He idly wondered how long they could go back and forth but he was confident that whether it ended in the next two minutes or in another two hours, the result would be the same.

"And when you visit me in Karakura, I'll probably be arrested for kissing you in public."

Both eyebrows raised, Toshiro's lips twitched in faint amusement.

"What makes you think I'll come and see you, let alone _allow_ you to kiss me?"

"...I'm undeniably irresistible?"

"In your dreams," he scoffed vehemently.

"I can be in yours, too, if you want?"

Moaning in annoyance, Hitsugaya leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. The orange haired Shinigami was nothing if not persistent…and lewd.

"And what if," he started off timidly, reopening his eyes to look at the teen across from him. "…What if it doesn't work out? What then?"

A minute of silence passed by as Ichigo made his decision. Slowly reaching out, he tentatively took Toshiro's small hand in his own, flinching when he felt a tiny flare of reiatsu. He almost let the hand drop back when he felt the spiritual pressure reign itself back in. Anxious teal met hopeful brown for the hundredth time that day, reminiscent of that night in front of the Chinese restaurant. Daring himself, Ichigo tenderly caressed the boy's cheek with his other hand, causing Toshiro's breath to catch in his throat.

"We won't know until we try…"

"…Ichigo-"

"Captain!"

As if rehearsed, the two Shinigami separated with Kurosaki springing back several feet and crashing onto the couch and Hitsugaya almost toppling out of his chair. Just as the door slammed open, the duo straightened themselves out and watched Matsumoto as she sauntered into the office, pink in the cheek and glossy eyed. The room's original occupants were tense in the shoulders while their faces were pulled into practiced masks of indifference. Both cursed their luck and silently prayed the strawberry blonde hadn't noticed their close proximity five-seconds ago.

"Captain, you wouldn't believe it," she exclaimed, twirling around happily. "I just uncovered the juiciest gossip anywhere!"

A collective sigh was released at the woman's drunken antics. Safe.

"Matsumoto," the captain growled, feeling the steady rise of his blood pressure. "You are drunk and it is only **two** in the afternoon. Explain."

"Ah, that just means it's two in the morning on the other side of the world," Rangiku cooed as she swayed unevenly. "Anyways! I'm sure Kurosaki-kun would love to hear my news!"

Ichigo felt more than saw the white haired Shinigami's glare being directed his way. Smiling sheepishly (or grimacing) he quickly declined the female's offer. However, instead of pouting about the teen's response, Rangiku edged closer to the substitute, an appraising glint in her eyes.

"Ano…You seem to enjoy visiting Seireitei a lot, Kurosaki-kun," she purred, adopting a comedic 'thinking' pose. "This makes three in the span of two weeks…"

Fortunately, the lieutenant's senses were too dulled to notice the immediate stiffening of two bodies. Waving away her own comment, she skipped back to the door with surprising dexterity, forgetting her desire to expand the rumor mill. Just as she was about glide down the hall and out of their sight, her voice carried a few choice words into the office.

"Captain," Rangiku drawled in a sickeningly mature voice, "we're getting pretty bored over at the Women's Association, so just accept Kurosaki-kun's offer already!"

Needless to say, the two males were left slack jawed and dumbfounded as she vanished with a sway of hips and a flip of her hair. Ichigo was the first to recover after opening and closing his mouth several times, mimicking a carp after washing up onto the shore. Seeing the equally flabbergasted expression stamped on the captain's face, he couldn't help but break into a smile. Without missing a beat, the taller male flash-stepped to his previous spot and gently tugged Hitsugaya towards him by the front of his shihakusho. All fear of losing his limbs to frostbite left him as he gazed into the other Shinigami's hesitant eyes.

"How about it, Toshiro," he quipped half-heartedly. "We wouldn't want to disappoint the Shinigami Women's Association…"

Toshiro felt his heartbeat increase ten-fold as everything reached a complete standstill.

"Nothing crazy. Just you and me, going through the motions."

"But-"

Disregarding the doubtful tone in Hitsugaya's voice, Ichigo swiftly leaned in and planted a small kiss on the soft skin of his cheek. And just as fast as he had committed the act, Kurosaki wisely pulled away, grinning widely and dodging a punch from the riled division leader. Toshiro growled low in his throat as he chased after the brazen youth, leaving a whirlwind of paperwork and turned over chairs in his wake. Both Hyorinmaru and Zangetsu hummed in amusement, intrigued with their masters' uncharacteristic show of juvenile behavior. Unbeknownst to the rowdy couple, their impromptu game of 'tag' did not go unnoticed by the upper level officers throughout Seireitei.

* * *

**"_Shunsui?"_**

**"_Mmm…What is it Joushiro," the bearded captain asked lazily, twirling a lock of hair between his fingers._**

**"_Did you feel that just now," the sickly man inquired, brown eyes alight with joy. "It seems like Toshiro-kun and Kurosaki-kun are having fun!"_**

**_Chuckling at the white haired man's apparent delight, Kyoraku dropped the lock of wavy hair and opted to grab his friend's hand instead. Stroking the back of Ukitake's hand with a calloused thumb, he smiled charmingly when he received a questioning glance from the other captain._**

**"_Brings back memories, ne?"_**

**_Joushiro stared at their connected hands for a moment before returning with a warm smile of his own._**

**"_Yes…Yes it does."_**

_

* * *

_

"Kurosaki Ichigo! Get back here you insufferable cretin!"

"No way! You'd kill me!"

* * *

**_Renji growled in annoyance as he stomped into the sixth division's administrative office, precariously balancing two trays of food. Three minutes ago he nearly dropped his and Captain Kuchiki's lunches because of Kurosaki's sudden burst of reiatsu. When Captain Hitsugaya's spirit pressure practically exploded seconds later, there was repeat performance as the red haired lieutenant stumbled forward with their trays. Cursing the Shinigami under his breath, the heavily tattooed male set both lunches down with relative ease, promptly taking his seat across the desk from his superior. Grey eyes regarded him coolly as Abarai heartily tucked in to his food._**

**"_Renji."_**

**_Pausing mid-bite, the younger Shinigami looked up at the black haired male rather dumbly. Swallowing whatever food he had in his mouth, the unruly subordinate sat upright and wiped a noodle from his chin._**

**"_Yes, Sir…?"_**

**"_Although you are allowed to be happy for Captain Hitsugaya and Kurosaki Ichigo's subsequent…union…That does not exempt you from taking what is not yours."_**

**"…_Captain?"_**

**"…_You are eating my Pad-Thai noodles…"_**

_

* * *

_

"I swear-you'll be wishing that I had done just that when I catch you!"

Ichigo barked out in laughter.

"That just gives me more of a reason to keep running from you!"

* * *

**"_Kenny! Kenny! There goes Ichii and he's being chased by Shiro," Yachiru exclaimed as she bounced up and down from her spot next to her captain. "Are you gonna chase after Ichii, too?"_**

**_Zaraki grunted as he took another sip of sake, leaning back on his free hand to watch the orange and white blurs zoom by overhead. Setting down his saucer, he patted his lieutenant's head absently._**

**"_Nah, s'not that kinda chase Yachiru," he mumbled roughly. "If there's one thing a man never does, it's get involved in a lover's quarrel. No point to it."_**

**"_Awe…But Kenny! Ichii is leaving in less than an hour; you might not see him for a long while," the pink haired girl complained as she climbed up to her usual perch on the man's shoulder. "Aren't you gonna miss him?"_**

**_Kenpachi deftly poured himself another saucer of sake, nodding slightly._**

**"_Aye, but like I said, I'm not gonna interrupt them," Zaraki muttered irately, although not really annoyed by his charge's insistent protests. "Love makes ya' do strange things, an' that includes killing off people who get caught up in their personal business."_**

**_Ikkaku snorted from where he lied on his back underneath one of the courtyard trees. Hozukimaru rested beside his head, properly sheathed and cleaned after a long refreshing spar with Yumichika._**

**"_Captain Hitsugaya will prolly rip Ichigo ta' shreds before he admits ta' loving the idiot," the riley man grumbled as stared at the clouds above him. "Whuddya think, Yumi?"_**

**_Looking up from his nails, Aysegawa mulled over his friend's statement before smiling coyly._**

**"_Well, all I know is that hate leaves ugly scars," he cooed pretentiously. "…But love leaves beautiful ones."_**

_

* * *

_

What had initially started off as a pursuit of swift revenge slowly changed into a mirthful game of cat and mouse. A genuine smile erupted onto Toshiro's lips at the mental image of Kurosaki wearing a pair of mouse ears, causing him to laugh merrily.

* * *

**_Unohana smiled daintily behind her raised teacup. For the first time since young Hitsugaya became a captain, his aura was tinged with yellow. He was…happy._**

_

* * *

_

Hearing the rare, tinkling laughter, Ichigo made the mistake of glancing over his shoulder, completely missing the tree directly in front of him.

* * *

**"_Ah, Rangiku-san. We figured you'd be here."_**

**_Matsumoto's ice blue eyes flickered from her empty cup to the two lieutenants standing by the doorway. Waving at her drinking buddies, the buxom women invited them into the tenth division kitchenette. Kira and Shuuhei exchanged looks of concern before entering the room. Chin in her hand, Rangiku's half lidded stare was locked onto the subtle brush of shoulders and the way the blue eyed man slightly leaned into the older male. When they were within her range, she heartily grabbed the men, pushed them into chairs, and poured them a generous amount of rice wine._**

**"_I'm so happy you're here," she cheered. "I was beginning to feel lonely!"_**

**"_Hm, you don't say," Hisagi muttered as he downed his cup of spirits. "Kira and I dropped by to make sure Captain Hitsugaya hadn't murdered you for being inebriated so early in the day."_**

**_Izuru nodded in agreement, drinking the chilled sake in one fluid motion._**

**"_We felt Kurosaki-san's reiatsu burst, as well," he commented quietly, "You don't suppose those two are at each other's throat right now, do you?"_**

**"_I wouldn't go so far as to put it into that particular phrasing," the woman hummed softly, smirking behind her cup. "But one can only hope!"_**

**_The lieutenant of the third division stared at his friend in disbelief, nearly spilling the contents of his cup onto the front of his shihakusho._**

**"_Rangiku-san," he cried out. "You can't possibly mean that!"_**

**_Hisagi sighed through his nose, plucking the cup from his companion's hand and slurping up the liquid in a flourish._**

**"_Kira, she does mean in it," he murmured humorlessly, wrapping an arm around the now blushing blonde. "Just not the way you're thinking."_**

**"_I don't…Oh…Oh wow-You mean Captain Hitsugaya and Kurosaki-san are," Kira trailed off, mouth hanging open._**

**"_If they aren't yet, they will soon," she stated matter-of-factly. "But you might want to close your mouth and pull your neck back, I-Zu-Ru-kun."_**

**_Shuuhei and Kira exchanged looks of uncertainty at the strange advice. The buxom lieutenant swished her drink around for a bit, leering at the men across from her._**

**"_Otherwise Hisagi-san might latch himself onto your throat as well…"_**

_

* * *

_

Lost in the momentum of his flash step, Toshiro easily crashed into the foolish substitute and had the wind knocked out of him. As they plummeted to the grassy knoll at the base of the tree, the captain felt Ichigo's arms pull him against his chest and flip their positions. In a matter of seconds they landed in a tangled heap with the orange haired teen on his back, cradling the older Shinigami in his arms. Minutes passed as the two of them lied there, chests heaving as they tried to get their heads to stop spinning. Eventually, the way they were positioned registered in the shorter male's mind caused Hitsugaya to let out an undignified squeak as he tried to scramble away. Vision still blurred, Kurosaki released his grip on Toshiro's waist, paying no heed to the cold reiatsu that slowly left his chest.

"Fuck," he groaned as he shook the leaves out of his hair. "I think I dislocated my shoulder."

"Serves you right," Hitsugaya grumbled as he rose to a sitting position. "You can dodge Kuchiki's shikai and bankai, but you're done in by a tree?Pathetic."

"Oh yeah? Well you're a captain but you couldn't stop yourself from running into me," the teen shot back, wincing when he accidently moved his injured arm. "Fuck, that hurts like a…Ugh!"

The white haired male rolled his eyes at the other's vulgar language and let out a sigh. Face set in a scowl, Toshiro moved to Ichigo's side and placed one hand on his chest while gently taking hold of his shoulder. Nervous brown eyes watched him, unsure of what the captain was going to do to him.

"I'm not going to hurt you…Much," Toshiro added with an afterthought, noticing the wary look being sent his way. "Keep still for a moment."

"That's not comforting at all, Toshiro," the substitute replied in a deadpan voice. "Just what are you going to do?"

"What else? I'm going to reset it," Hitsugaya mumbled, concentrating on getting the position of the appendage just right. "On the count of three I'll push it back in. Ready?"

Kurosaki inhaled deeply, his mind already fuzzy with the idea of having his shoulder manually reset. He had only needed such treatment two other times in his life, and each time it left him close to tears with how painful it felt.

"Okay, I'm-"

"Three."

* * *

**"_Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrgghh__! You little bastard!"_**

**_Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryusai raised his head slightly. To his right, Captain Komamura's ears twitched at the earsplitting sound. On his left, Sasakibe huffed in annoyance, sipping his tea with Western refinement. The bamboo shoji doors of the first division sitting room were wide open, giving them a brilliant view of the cherry blossom trees in the courtyard._**

**"_Hmmm…"_**

**_Sasakibe's golden eyes flickered to his superior._**

**"_Sir?"_**

**"_Yamamoto-sama, I believe that was Kurosaki-san just now," Komamura stated in a gruff voice. "Should we be worried?"_**

**_Lowering his teacup, the bearded man grunted in a detached fashion._**

**"_No, I am sure Captain Hitsugaya will keep him out of too much trouble," he answered casually. "Who knows, maybe our young Captain will manage to teach him some of the finer aspects of the Shinigami arts…"_**

**_A frown stretched onto the face of his silver haired subordinate._**

**"_Pardon my asking this, but is it wise to leave the two of them alone," Chojiro queried, head politely bowed. "It is no secret that both have volatile tempers and enough reiatsu to decimate half of Seireitei."_**

_

* * *

_

"You little bastard," Ichigo bellowed, scaring any and every form of wild life within a twenty mile radius. "You told me you'd count to three!"

Toshiro shrugged offhandedly, ears ringing from the sheer volume of the teen's voice.

"Think of it as payback for kissing my person," he responded delicately, eliciting a less than manly squeak from the orange head when he 'accidentally' put more pressure on Kurosaki's reattached limb. "Speaking of which, I do not recall ever giving you permission to do so."

"Yeah? Well I don't recall you denying me the privilege, either," the substitute huffed childishly, scowling for all he was worth. "Still doesn't mean you gotta go and inflict bodily harm on me."

"I beg to differ."

Moving to a more comfortable position, Hitsugaya unabashedly loosened the knot on Ichigo's hakama, untucked both the outer and inner gi, and pulled them back far enough to reveal his left shoulder. Paying little to no attention to the indignant squawk of embarrassment, the white haired captain set the palm of his hand on the smooth planes of the sore joint, fingers outstretched.

"T-Toshiro? What are you doing," Ichigo stuttered, flushing heavily at the skin to skin contact. "N-not that it's unwanted, but this is kind of-"

"Mind out of the gutter, Kurosaki," he murmured tonelessly. "I don't have much experience with healing Kido, but after a decade or so with Hyorinmaru, you pick up a thing or two."

Forcing any savory unsavory thoughts to the vast recesses of his mind, the teen tilted his head to watch the Shinigami's fingertips emit a faint blue glow that engulfed surface of his skin with a cooling sensation. Any leftover tension was drained from his body as the small hand began massaging his shoulder, all five digits sliding to the center and extending. The repeated ministrations lulled the student into a relaxed state, causing him to slump forward a bit. Nonplussed by the recurring invasion of personal space, Toshiro continued stroking the heated skin, too engrossed with his work to notice the affection in Ichigo's eyes.

* * *

**"_He's right, you know."_**

**_Yamamoto kept his attention trained on the falling petals before him as the other two turned to regard the seemingly disembodied voice. Standing behind the trio was none other than the second division captain, her sharp features set in a scowl, arms stubbornly crossed. Acknowledging the woman's presence with the slight incline of his head, the elder Shinigami drained yet another cup of jasmine tea._**

**"_What are you implying, Captain Soi Fon," he asked evenly, allowing his lieutenant to pour him more tea._**

**_Lips drawn in a thin line, the black haired captain remained where she stood, ignoring the pair of inquisitive stares. Her goal was simple from the moment she felt the reiatsu spikes: approach the Captain Commander and voice her concerns._**

**"_Given their developing relationship, wouldn't it be wise if we take advantage of Captain Hitsugaya's influence over the boy?"_**

**_Silence rained down on the room's occupants until a crackle of angry spiritual pressure broke through the tension._**

**"_How can you suggest such a despicable thing," the canine Shinigami snarled, turning to scold the __Onmitsukido_ _commander__. "Only Aizen could possibly concoct an idea such as that. Manipulating their newly formed relationship—it is far from honorable!"_**

**_Setting his teacup down gently, Sasakibe excused himself to brew another batch. As the man departed, Soi Fon openly glared at the wolf captain, ignoring the fact that her behavior was unbecoming of her status._**

**"_I am only speaking from an objective point of view. We all know that Kurosaki Ichigo is an admirable young man with a modest sense of right and wrong, but we know nothing of where his loyalties truly lie. They are as ambiguous as the melting of ice in a cup of water. And then there is the matter of his hollow half; although he claims to have full control of the beast, there is no bonafide proof. He is a liability to the Gotei Thirteen and Soul Society as a whole."_**

**"_You are out of line, Captain Soi Fon," Sajin all but shouted at the petite female. "Who are you to make these accusations? Have you forgotten how indebted we are to that young man? Do you not recall the countless times he has come to our aid despite not having any motive to do so? I, of all the Captains, have had the least amount of interaction with Kurosaki, but I am not so pompous as to deny him the recognition deserves and the respect he has earned."_**

**

* * *

**

"Toshiro…"

"Hmm?"

"…Thanks. You didn't have to do this," Ichigo said groggily, happy that the pain was now dulled to small pin pricks. "We…could've just gone to the fourth…"

Hitsugaya shook his head, taking care to keep a straight face; in his current state, the substitute could very well be described as adorable.

"We would raise further suspicion if we had," he replied, banishing his previous thought with the blink of an eye. "Besides...I wouldn't want to come off as the abusive one."

Despite having his head in the proverbial clouds, Kurosaki couldn't help but make an inquiring noise in the back of his throat when he heard the unusual statement. As far gone as he was, the underlying tone was hard to miss or be left alone.

"Abusive…one?"

Withdrawing his hand, Toshiro lowered his eyes. Mouth pressed into a thin line, he awkwardly pulled the white and black gi to cover up the teen's chest and shoulder. As he moved to get up, a large hand on his forearm stopped him. Following the hand up to Kurosaki's bemused expression, Hitsugaya gave him a stern look before helping him to his feet.

"The Senkaimon is opening soon," he mumbled, watching Ichigo tuck in his top. "We had better head back."

"…Let's go then," the student agreed reluctantly as he finished adjusting his hakama.

* * *

**"_Which is why we shall allow him to pursue Captain Hitsugaya in a romantic sense."_**

**_The younger captains whipped their heads back to their mutual superior, shock etched into the female's expression while Komamura looked upon his benefactor with even higher esteem. Without a drop of reiatsu and utilizing a single sentence, he had diffused the escalating argument. Sasakibe chose that moment to return with a new pot of jasmine tea along with a few choice snacks. Yamamoto made a small gesture with his hand, simultaneously loading his small plate with sweet buns. Restraining herself from sighing out loud, Soi Fon shook off any remaining ill will and seated herself beside the seventh division leader. Mouth shut tight, she bowed her head in thanks as the silver haired lieutenant served her a cup of tea._**

**"_Today the cherry blossoms are especially beautiful," the senior captain murmured, eyes fully opened for once. "But it is a shame that their blooms are so short lived."_**

_

* * *

_

After collecting Zangetsu and Hyorinmaru from the tenth division office and managing to convince said division's captain not to kill his passed out lieutenant, Ichigo and Toshiro arrived to the Senkaimon just in time. Already accustomed to the sporadic comings and goings of the young substitute, no one else had come to see him off, although the young man didn't seem to care too much. Standing before the enormous gateway, Ichigo turned around to face the captain one last time.

"Spring semester starts tomorrow, but I'm gonna swing by at the end of the week," he said evenly, shifting his zanpakuto to a more comfortable position on his back. "That is…if it's okay with you?"

"Would it matter," Hitsugaya asked, crossing his arms across his chest. "Even if I were to say 'no', you would come back here anyway."

"You got me there," he conceded, scratching the tip of his nose guiltily. "Still, I think it'd be nice to know if I'm wanted?"

"A day spent with Kurotsuchi and his daughter would be more desirable."

"But I _am_ desirable," Ichigo shot back good-naturedly.

"There's less than seven minutes left to crossover, Kurosaki," the young captain warned, opting to ignore the taller male's comment. "You should get moving before it closes."

Glancing over his shoulder to eye the glowing portal, Ichigo sighed, not quite willing to leave just yet. Shoving his disappointment aside, he returned his brown eyed gaze to the white haired Shinigami ten feet away from him and waved. Turquoise eyes watched the orange haired teen mouth the words, 'See you,' before turning around and walking towards the inter-dimensional doorway. One step shy of the threshold, Kurosaki paused when he heard his name called and when he looked back, his heart felt like it skipped a beat seeing the devious smirk on Toshiro's lips.

"Don't be late for our next date," the white haired boy called out. "Otherwise I will have no qualms being the abusive boyfriend."

* * *

**"_Unlike the cherry blossoms that bloom and fall in an endless cycle, love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not its essence…"_**


End file.
